she's the air i could kill to breathe
by everythingsfine18
Summary: Update summary: Updated summary: Emma and Regina have been together for almost five years. Regina is pregnant with their first child, one created of True Love. What's supposed to be an exciting time for the couple quickly turns into a nightmare when Regina loses her memory. They've survived so much already. Can they make it through another obstacle?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** A few years ago, I posted this story under the title "I Will Always Save You." I've recently been going through old fics, rereading them, curious to see if/how my writing has changed since then. Well, it has. Sort of. I think.

This is a revised version of that story. Names of characters have been changed and villains have been swapped. Most of it has been reworked, but some of the old version still fit (dialogue, character descriptions), so those of you who read IWASY may recognize some similarities. I've also posted this on AO3.

ALSO, quick heads up: Hook is in the first and second chapter, but he won't be around for long. And like the tag says, he and Emma never happened, so...

* * *

Morning sickness was the worst part, that much was indisputable. The fact that she never knew when it was going to hit, that every time she thought she'd pinpointed a trigger only to find out she was wrong, was infuriating. Some days were better than others, especially after the 12th week. She'd even managed to hold down her meals every once and a while. Everything else was fine. She could handle the swollen hands and growing waistline, the sore back and heightened senses. That damn morning sickness, however. Regina thought it would never end.

She hadn't anticipated it being so bad the last time. Emma had recalled few details from when she was pregnant with Henry, except for the constant fatigue. As much as Regina wished Emma could remember more, she was also silently grateful to Emma for glossing over the rougher parts. Even after all this time, the guilt still weighed down on Regina every now and then.

For the most part, however, Regina was rather infatuated with it all, the process of growing another human being, the way her body stretched to accommodate another life. She watched as her midsection began to round, the way her cheeks filled out. She reveled in the delight of the first kick, far more powerful than she could have hoped for.

As for Emma, well, she was a bit of a nervous wreck. If she wasn't hovering over Regina, she was buried in paperwork at the station. When she wasn't at her desk, she was patrolling the town. And when she wasn't driving up and down Main Street, she was taking to Storybrooke on foot. Anything to keep busy, to make sure that everyone was safe, to maintain the peace within the town.

The past six years had been anything but tranquil. They'd survived more curses than Emma had ever thought possible, done more good than Regina had ever believed herself to be capable of. And yet, the Queen and the Savior had managed to build a life together, the two of them and Henry. They had become the family they had always wanted. In each other, Regina and Emma had found their Happy Ending, the thing they'd both so desperately wanted their entire lives. If only they remembered one small thing: life doesn't always happen the way you plan.

* * *

The last week of August had been especially tough for the Swan-Mills family. Henry had been struggling with the stress of yet another school year on the horizon. The 16 year-old had outgrown most of his clothes from the previous year, again, and had worn out a hole in his old knapsack. Emma had promised to take him into town that Saturday, but had nearly forgotten due to an unsolved burglary she couldn't let go of. Meanwhile, Regina had been battling her own war: migraines. For days, the Mayor had slept in late and fulfilled her duties from home, in the comfort of her own pajamas.

To make up for the late nights at the station and lack of family dinners, Emma suggested the three of them go into town together and spend the day. Regina's morning sickness seemed to have subsided, and her head wasn't giving her too much trouble. And Henry even had one more clean shirt that fit perfectly.

After a much-anticipated breakfast at Granny's, their first public appearance together in weeks, Emma and Regina strolled along the sidewalk a few paces behind Henry. Their appetites satisfied and their stomach full, the women basked in the quiet autumn morning. It was one of the few things Emma and Regina had in common, their love of the fall, the way the leaves turned and scattered about the town. The way the sun took solace behind the clouds and smiled down on the people of Storybrooke tenderly.

They had were just passing Gold's shop when Henry ran inside to greet his grandfather. Emma and Regina waited patiently beneath the shade of the awning, one arm wrapped around Regina's waist.

"How're you feeling?" Emma murmured as Regina leaned into her embrace.

Shrugging slightly, Regina sighed. "I've been worse."

With a quick, but passionate peck on the top of Regina's head, Emma nodded to the door beside them. "You sure you don't want to me see if there's something—"

"We've been over this," Regina said firmly. "No potions, no spells. No magic. I can handle this. It just… comes with the territory, right?" she added with a half-smile.

Hardly convinced, Emma knew when to concede. "No magic," she promised. "What about ice cream?" she offered, pointing to the store across the street.

Regina scoffed. "It's 11 in the morning."

With a wicked grin, Emma raised an eyebrow. "So… yes?" Emma watched as the corners of Regina's mouth twitched, watched as her partner did her best to suppress a smile. "Single scoop of cookie dough coming right up." Emma pressed her lips against Regina's before skipping off to the ice cream parlor, her curls bouncing giddily with every step she took.

Emma was only gone for a moment before Regina felt a familiar nudge in her midsection. Chuckling softly, she soothed the impatient bump. "I know. I'm hungry again too."

Sure enough, Emma returned with a sugar cone and two scoops of cookie dough ice cream piled on top. It was then that Henry finally emerged from the store, a jealous expression on his face when he saw the treat his mother held. "When'd you get that?"

"Relax, Kid. We can go there next," Emma said as she slipped her hand back into Regina's. When she reached out to try the cone, however, Regina pulled away. "Hey! No fair!" the blonde whined. "I didn't have to get that for you, you know," she said as she narrowed her eyes at Regina.

"True," the brunette agreed. "But would you really deprive the baby from—"

"Fine, fine," Emma grumbled. Regina simply smirked back at her, but Emma was too stubborn. "Keep walking."

By the time they came to the end of the block, Regina had finished her desert, Henry's stomach had started to growl again, and Emma could feel the sweat through her shirt. They were just about to turn back when a strange car zoomed past and screeched to a halt.

Instinctively, Emma planted herself in front of Henry and Regina. After seven years in Storybrooke, she was able to recognize every single vehicle in town and knew exactly who it belonged to. This, however, was new. Storybrooke didn't do new.

It was black, sporty, shiny. The wheels had chrome hubcaps and the windows were slightly tinted. When the door to the driver's side opened and a leather boot hit the cement, Emma's hands balled into fists as she braced for a fight. Magic or mortal, she was ready.

"So, the rumors are true. You three are quite the sight."

Regina's eyes fell upon the bearded man and her anxiety quickly turned to disgust. Clad in a black leather jacket and black pants, the pirate stood with an arm draped over his car door, an eery smirk painted across his face.

"Jesus Christ," Emma sighed. "What are you doing here?"

"Is that anyway to greet an old friend?"

Emma rolled her eyes in revulsion. It'd been less than five minutes, but she could already see how little Hook had changed in the six years that they'd last been in the same room together. "Look, whatever you're selling, we're not interested."

She gave Regina's hand a firm but gentle tug and started to walk away. Emma shot a stern grimace at Henry, a silent plea for him to keep walking. She and Regina didn't get very far before Hook called after them.

"I've got a bit of information," was all he said. "Something you'll want to know."

Spinning on her heels, Emma folded her arms over her chest and scowled at the man who once thought he had a chance with her. "And what makes you so sure?"

"Because," Hook said with a slight gleam in his eye. "It's about your Queen."


	2. Chapter 2

Emma stood against the kitchen counter, far enough to keep from punching Hook, but close enough to any defense weapons. Regina, meanwhile, sat at the head of the table her hands clasped in a dignified manner. They'd attempted to send Henry to his room, but when he insisted that he was old enough to be involved, they relented and allowed him to remain present. They did, however, keep Hook at a safe distance from any of them. As much as they didn't want him anywhere near their home, they also didn't want him gallivanting the streets of Storybrooke.

"Ok," Emma finally said. "You've got five minutes. Starting now."

"That hardly seems fair," Hook countered.

"It's more than fair. And if we call bullshit, you never come near us again. You never come back to Storybrooke. Hell, you never come back to Maine."

"And if I do?" Hook asked the blonde.

Emma looked down at her watch, "Four and a half minutes."

Crossing one leg in front of the other, Hook moved to lean against the doorway, the silver rings on his fingers as polished as ever. The shape of his flask visible through the thin material of his coat. When he parted his lips to speak, Emma couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to kick him in the—

"It would seem, _Your Majesty_ ," Hook said sarcastically, "that your mother is alive."

If Regina was shocked by the news, her composure expressed otherwise. She kept her head held high and simply stared at the deplorable pirate. "That's not possible," she said in a tight tone. "You know very well that Cora died six years ago."

"That may be, but I assure you, she is very much alive," Hook replied. "In fact, if my sources are correct, she's on her way here as we speak."

"What 'sources?'" Emma interjected. "Have you been spying on us?"

Hook smiled a toothy smile, and Emma fought the urge to shudder. "Don't flatter yourself, love. It's not you I was concerned with, but the Crocodile."

"Grandpa?" Henry piped. "He's good now. He hasn't been dark since—"

But Hook merely rolled his eyes, annoyed by the unwavering optimism in the boy. "He is still the Dark One, yes? All it takes one temptation, one mistake. He'll return to the darkness soon enough."

Holding up a hand to silence Hook, Regina offered Henry a reassuring nod. "Can we go back for a moment? What makes you believe that my mother is alive? And why would she want to come here?"

"I saw her," Hook said nonchalantly, as if he were saying the run had risen that morning. "Bloody lucky too. Spotted her just in time to change course."

"Don't tell me you were scared of her?" Emma snorted, though she knew would've done the same thing. "So, what— you saw Cora and thought 'Oh I know, I'll drive 2,000 miles and let her daughter know? The same one I helped kidnap and torture?' Yeah, don't think we've forgotten about that."

"2, 423, actually," Hook chimed. When neither Emma or Regina said anything, Hook took pity on them. "If I wanted to hurt you, I would have done it the moment I saw you. Regardless of our past… relationship, I came here as a courtesy."

Shaking her head, Emma did her best to resist the urge to kick him out of the house. "How did you even get here? Last I heard, you were off gambling in Nevada."

"Now who's spying?" Hook asked with a wink. "I'm a pirate, or have you forgotten? Coordinates are my speciality."

As Emma and Hook continued to bicker, Regina sat perfectly still. Her brow furrowed as she fell deep into thought. Suddenly, she was transported back to the last time she was with her mother; Cora in her arms, finally seeing her daughter, telling Regina that she would have been enough.

It wasn't until Regina heard Henry calling to her that she returned to the present. "Mom?" She felt his hand rest on top of hers, saw the concern in his eyes, the slight tilt of his head.

"Emma," Regina started. "Call your parents. I think a meeting is in order."

* * *

In ten minute's time, David and Snow appeared at their daughter's doorstep with Neal in tow. Old enough to hold a conversation, but too young to grasp the magnitude of such a situation, Henry agreed to look after little prince under one condition; Emma and Regina tell him what he missed.

Emma hadn't exactly filled her parents in over the phone. Figured it was best to tell them in person. All she said was that it was important. That Hook was back. Told her father to try and restrain himself. In all fairness, David only punched Hook once in the face upon arrival, and there was no blood. Though, in the end, Emma thought it would be best if Hook waited in the kitchen.

"I'm sorry, did you say Cora is alive?" Snow shook her head. With her hands on her hips, she stood in front of the fireplace beside her husband, who seemed equally as perplexed. "But she's—"

"Dead, yes," Regina finished the thought. "Though by now, we should all know that anything is possible. I would't put it past my mother to have found a way back." Regina tried to ignore the beads of sweat that had begun to form beneath her blouse, the way her palms had begun to clam up.

Emma noted her partner's slight shift on the couch, the way Regina's lips pursed together in a tight line. Meeting Regina's eye, she tilted her chin in silent correspondence; Regina simply turned back to Snow and David, tired of Emma's constant hovering.

"If Cora really is back, is that such a bad thing?" Snow piped. "I mean, she had her heart when she died." Her voice went soft at the memory, her own role in the event still fresh in her mind. "She wouldn't hurt anyone, right? She'd be on our side?"

"I don't know," Regina said honestly. "I wouldn't put it past her to have an agenda, with or without her heart." She couldn't hide the bitterness in tone, no matter how hard she tried. Regina was still struggling to wrap her head around it all. How long had she been back? Why come to Storybrooke? Why now, after all this time?

Folding his arms over his chest, David let out a long exhale. "So, we need a plan," he surmised.

"Council meeting?" Snow proposed.

Emma and David shook their heads in unison. "Not yet," the blonde said. "It'll only freak people out."

"I agree," said David. "Not until we know more." He closed his eyes and paused for a moment before clearing his throat. "Hook? Will you come in here for a minute?" Silence. "I have no intention of hitting you again. Not today, anyway."

Heavy footsteps dragged across the wood floors as the pirate meandered into the living room. His face had begun to bruise a bit, his nose somewhat swollen. He kept a fair distance between himself and Charming, staying close to the nearest exit. "Your Highness," he greeted dryly.

"What else do you know? When and where did you last see Cora?" David questioned. Emma quietly chastised herself for forgetting her role as the sheriff and skipping straight into the role of a concerned partner; the questions David was asking were ones Emma should have thought of.

"As I told your lovely daughter here," Hook began, his voice slightly nasally, "I only saw her in passing. About a month ago."

"A month?" Emma squawked. "You didn't tell us that!"

Regina felt her heart skip a beat as thought of the time that had passed since her mother's death, all that had changed— how much she had changed. So many times she'd wondered what life would have been like had Cora lived, what her mother would have thought about where she was now, what kind of grandmother Cora would have made. Regina was only brought back to the present when she felt another nudge against her hand, the baby begging her to say something.

"If my mother is back, if she's on her way here, we don't have much time," Regina murmured softly, her gaze on her rounded stomach. "For all we know, she could already be here."

* * *

That night, Regina and Emma laid in bed beside one another, their hands clasped together as silence wrapped around them. The lights were turned off, and together they stared up at the ceiling, lost in their own thoughts. Regina could sense Emma's worry, knew the blonde was doing her best not to let it show. She listened to Emma's staggered breathing and knew she was scrapping yet another idea of how to keep Regina safe.

Regina, however, felt the numbness that washed over her that morning begin to fade. Her own heart started to race as she considered all of the possibilities Cora's return offered. Though she knew better than to do so, she hoped Snow was right about her mother— that with her heart, Cora wouldn't be a threat or danger to anyone. That if Cora was coming back, it was to see Regina and mend their relationship.

"Regina? Are you awake?"

Regina gave Emma's hand a tender squeeze. "Mhm."

A beat of silence. Emma struggled to make sense of the words that filled her head. Knew what she wanted to say, but didn't know how to say it. Was afraid that if she did, it wouldn't disappoint Regina.

"I'm sorry," the Savior finally said.

Frowning slightly, Regina felt Emma stiffen next to her. "What for?"

"For everything. For not being home enough this week. For not looking after you and Henry more. For not being able to protect you from… from all of this." Regina heard Emma's voice break at the end, listened to Emma sigh heavily. "I should've sent Hook to the Enchanted Forest when I had the chance."

"That wouldn't have changed anything," Regina said. "He's just the messenger. Cora may have very well still returned."

Turning onto her side to face Regina, Emma let go of Regina's hand and pressed her palm against Regina's stomach. "How are you feeling?"

"Just fine, dear. I've not been sick since—"

"That's not what I meant."

Regina glanced over at Emma and stared at the woman's silhouette. She couldn't see the woman's eyes, but she could feel Emma's gaze on her. "A part of me hopes that…" Regina trailed off, afraid to finish the sentence.

But she didn't need to say anything else. Emma already knew. Placing a gentle kiss on Regina's cheek, Emma pulled her into her arms and held her close. "You know I'm here, right? Whatever you want to do, whatever happens, I'm here."

Nestling into Emma's embrace, allowing herself to be held, Regina nodded and hummed softly. "I know."

It wasn't long before both women drifted off to sleep, Regina comforted by the warmth of her lover.

* * *

 _Regina sat behind her desk, buried beneath piles of paperwork. A steaming glass of hot cider rested atop a cork coaster, just an arm's length away. Madam Mayor nursed her drink it quietly as she flipped through the pages of yet another maintenance request. Aside from the gentle hum of the heater, the room was practically silent. The brunette's focus had yet to be interrupted, even when she caught sight of the first rays of sun in two weeks peaking through the gray clouds. Winter was soon coming to an end, she could sense it. Spring too wasn't far away now._

 _She just was signing off on another repair request when she heard the ambulance pass by the window, followed by a firetruck honking furiously. It was a curious thing, Regina thought. Few accidents happened in the town of Storybrooke, and if they did, they were typically minor scuffles. There was rarely any need for the town's only emergency responders._

 _Down the vacant halls and past the deserted desks, Regina shuffled through the office until she made it to the front doors. It was then that she was struck by a vicious shiver. From her spot on the front steps, Regina watched as residents emerged and congregated in the streets, a line of smoke rising up to the sky._

 _With nothing to hold onto to keep steady, Regina hobbled onward towards the sea of panic. When people saw her approach, they whispered to one another hastily. The crowd shifted, almost as though they were trying to block Regina from the center. From the looks on their faces, Regina knew. Her insides had twisted inside and out as the pieces clicked together. Shoving past each and every onlooker, Regina's legs nearly gave out from beneath her when she saw it: two cars had slammed together in a head-on collision. A navy sedan with the air bags released sat without a driver. But, the other vehicle…_

 _A rusted yellow Bug with the hood smashed in reeked of gasoline. The windshield had been destroyed, crushed into pieces. The driver's window had been rolled down half way, just as it always was. And slumped over the wheel, unconscious, blood trickling down her temple, was Emma._

 _Somewhere in the distance, Regina heard her mother's voice. Those three words she'd fought so hard to escape."Love is weakness, Regina."_


	3. Chapter 3

Regina didn't tell Emma about her dream. She didn't want to cause any more alarm, didn't want to set off any more panic. She'd had nightmares before, remnants of the life she once led. If she told Emma about every bad dream, she was sure the sheriff would never let her out of her sight.

But Emma knew something was off with her partner. It was as plain as day; the distant look in Regina's eyes, the grimace on her face as they prepared for their day. Sure, Regina had been quiet the last few mornings, but that was because of her migraines. This was different. Something wasn't right.

"What do you think about going to the beach today?" Emma asked after brushing her teeth, her hair still damp from her shower. Standing in jeans and a tank top, shoved her hands in her back pockets. Her biceps flexed briefly, though just long enough for Regina to notice. "Just you, me, and the kid?"

Still in her pajamas, Regina rummaged through her drawers for something comfortable, yet stylish. She'd outgrown most of her favorite clothes, much to her dismay. "Are you sure that's wise?" Regina asked without looking back. "Being out in the open?"

If Emma hadn't known better, she would have sworn there was hint of fear in Regina's voice. "You mean because of Cora?" Emma prompted. "Do you think she'd try something with all three of us?"

"She gave up her own daughter for power," Regina pointed out. Stealing a glimpse over her shoulder, she watched as Emma chewed on her bottom lip, somewhat guilty for her quick refusal. "I'm sorry," she relented. "I suppose I'm still… Perhaps we could try something else, hm? Maybe drive to Portland for the day, somewhere less… obvious."

"That's safer than staying in Storybrooke?" Emma countered dubiously.

"If she's on her way here, I highly doubt she'll think to search surrounding towns."

Soon, the corners of Emma's mouth twitched and her eyes lit up ever-so-slightly. "Portland it is," she said before kissing Regina.

Falling into the woman's arms, Regina breathed deeply. "Why don't you and Henry get everything ready to go? Make sure we're set to cross the line, double check our things," Regina said. "There's someone I need to see before we leave."

* * *

If Zelena had learned anything in the six years of having a sister, it was that asking to meet in person was never a good sign. The moment she read Regina's text message, her carefree morning took a turn. Instead of sipping on a hot cup of tea, as she normally did, Zelena poured herself enough coffee to survive the next three days.

When Regina arrived, Zelena stayed standing, just several feet away from Regina. The younger woman looked a bit tired, the glow she'd been emitting the past few weeks somewhat faded. Zelena would have written it off as the strain of the pregnancy. But judging by the way Regina wrung her hands, she had a feeling it was something else.

"I wanted you to hear it from me first," Regina began. Trying not to trip over her words. Disbelief that she was actually about to say it. "Cora, apparently, is alive." Zelena's green eyes stayed glued to Regina. "In fact, she may be coming to Storybrooke."

Shaking her head, Zelena scoffed. "I thought Cora—"

"Died. Mhm, that's been everyone else's response so far." With a helpless shrug, Regina said, "I've told you everything I know. I thought… well, I thought you'd want to know. To be warned."

Zelena cocked her head to the side, her shock now mixed with confusion. "Warn me? You don't think she's coming in peace?"

"I don't know," Regina said honestly. "Until 24 hours ago, I believed she was dead, just like everyone else."

Finally, Zelena fell into a chair and dropped her hands into her face. Her despair didn't last long before she snapped he head up and clapped her hands together. "Right, what's the plan then? I take it you've strengthened the protection of the border? Put up defenses around your home?"

With an accusatory scowl, Regina piped, "Why does everyone seem to think _I'm_ a target?"

"Well, you are her daughter."

"So are you."

"Only by blood. We both know family is more than genetics." Zelena stared pointedly at Regina, as if daring her to continue. It was no use, though. Zelena always won, much to Regina's displeasure. Moving away from their staring contest, Zelena pointed to Regina's growing midsection. "Whatever you're planning, you just make sure my niece is safe. If you need anything, you know where to find me."

With a small nod of gratitude, Regina gestured towards the door. "I should be going."

She was halfway gone when she felt a hand tug at her sleeve. "You'll call me if you need to?"

Offering a half-hug, Regina replied, "Of course."

* * *

Emma sat behind the steering wheel of the yellow Bug, her most faithful companion next to Henry and Regina. Her car had been with her through the toughest of times, had seen her through her lowest of lows. But it had also been there for her when her life changed forever, stayed by her side as she grew into the hero everyone knew her to be.

Blankets and a picnic basket packed away into the trunk, the Swan-Mills family had everything they needed for a day by the water. Henry even remembered to pack extra sunscreen and, not one, but two extra towels. Just to be safe. A skill he'd inherited from his brunette mother. Something Emma was still working on developing.

"Right. Everyone got their ticket out?" Emma asked before pulling out of the driveway. Henry held two thumbs up, the baseball hat that once belong to Neal placed firmly on top of his head. Regina, meanwhile, answered with a silent nod, the necklace Emma had given her for her birthday tucked beneath the collar of her shirt. And Emma, well, her leather jacket was her most treasured item. Of course.

It'd been some time since they last took a family trip. Though they knew they could cross the border, Emma and Regina had grown fond of Storybrooke. Small as the town was, it had become their home, for better or worse. The idea of leaving it, even if just for a day, rarely occurred to them. But today, with David and Snow filling in for Emma and Regina as the town's protectors, the women looked forward to the time they were about to spend together.

As faithful as the Bug had been to Emma, the blonde hadn't exactly maintained her end of the deal. She'd gone a few months too long since the last tune-up and she could hear the engine struggling to heed her commands. They nearly made it to the town line when the car sputtered to a sad halt.

"I knew it," Regina sighed. "I told you it was running on fumes."

"Shh, don't say that. It'll hear you," Emma admonished. Checking the road behind her, scanning for any oncoming cars (which there wouldn't be this close to the border) Emma opened her door, and popped the hood. Disappeared behind the yellow cover.

"Five dollars says she thinks she can fix it," Henry chuckled.

Regina couldn't help but smile at her son and shake her head. "Let's say… the dishes, hm? For a week?"

"You're on," the teenager said eagerly.

There was a squeaking sound. And then a clanking sound. Followed by Emma stifling a few choice words.

Peeking her head out from behind the hood, the Savior gave Henry and Regina a reassuring smile. "No biggie! Just a quick fix! Gimme five minutes!" And just like that, she disappeared once again, elbows deep in car grease.

"So the dishes, huh?" Henry teased with a devilish smirk.

Regina just rolled her eyes and leaned back against her seat. That's when she saw it. Or rather, saw _her_. Standing off at the end of the road. Her hair draped over her shoulders. Black suit over a purple shirt. Red lips pressed in a tight smile.

Before she knew it, Regina was getting out of the car. "Henry, stay here," she murmured absentmindedly. She found herself walking towards the woman at the end of the road. She heard Emma behind her, but Regina couldn't stop. It was as though she'd lost all control.

When she a mere five inches away, Regina found her voice. Heard herself speak. "Mother?"

Cora Mills, in all her glory, stood planted before Regina. Looked just as she had the last time they were together. Smiled over at her daughter with the same twinkle in her eye Regina had seen before she died.

Conjuring her gun and holster, Emma reached for it just in case, even though she knew it was not match for magic. "Careful, Regina," she warned.

Her arms hung at her sides, afraid to reach out, to find it that it was all a dream. Regina could hear Cora breathing, though. She could smell her perfume. "It's really you," she let out in a strangled whisper. Cora smiled at her daughter and nodded, her arms outstretched for Regina. But Regina stood still. "How…?"

Cora lifted a hand and paused. She could see the outline of a charm beneath Regina's shirt, a bit of silver peeking through the collar. "So beautiful," was all she managed to say.

"What do you want?" Emma asked none-to-gently.

But Cora ignored her, fixated on the jewelry Regina had clearly meant to hide away. "May I?"

Looking down at her chest, Regina uncovered the chain and held it between her finger and thumb; the silver feather heavier than right then. Emma kept a careful eye on Cora as she reached to touch it, unsure whether or not to call for backup. But then it happened. It was all too fast.

A cringe-worthy sizzling erupted from the necklace as Cora ripped the chain free. Regina's hand flew to her neck, but she wasn't fast enough. "Mother?"

Something in Cora's eyes changed. A flicker of sadness. Or something closely resembling it. "Forgive me," she rasped before shoving Regina across the line.


	4. Chapter 4

This wasn't how the day was supposed to go. They were supposed to go to Portland and sit by the sea. Enjoy the sandwiches Emma had prepared for them. Drink the fresh cider from the apples in their garden. Bask in the sound of the waves crashing against the shore, all while watching Henry as dove under the current. As Emma paced the halls of the hospital, all she could think about was what the day should have been.

When Henry showed up with Snow and David in tow, he took his mother into his arms and hugged her close, nearly the same height as her now. Snow and David followed quickly, still trying to put the pieces together. Regina had been pushed over the line. Cora had been the one to push her. That was all they knew.

"Anything?" David asked.

Emma shook her head, her eyes red and watery. "Cora?" David had the same response.

It wasn't long before Dr. Whale emerged from Regina's room with a morose expression on a face, only to be bombarded with questions from Emma. "How is she? What about the baby? How's her memory? Is she going to be ok? Can she come home?"

Whale held up a hand, not to silence Emma, but more to beg for her to slow down. "We haven't found any physical injuries," he informed her, and the rest of the family. "But, since she's not alert, we don't know if her memory is still in tact."

"So, what, we just wait and see?" Emma grunted. "What about the baby?"

"As I said, physically, Regina is fine. The baby's heartbeat is strong, steady. We have no reason to believe there's any fetal distress."

Emma heard Dr. Whale, but she wasn't listening. She couldn't. Everything around her had become white noise.

"Can I see her?" Emma asked suddenly.

Whale glanced back at Regina through the window. Against his better judgment, he conceded. "Yes, but only for a moment. And, I have to insist that you allow Henry and I to go with you."

"Fine," Emma said quickly. "I just wanna see her."

The very second she stepped foot into the room, Emma felt a chill run along her spine. Goosebumps rose over her arms and her chest constricted at the sight of Regina connected to several different machines; a belt wrapped around her midsection, held together by velcro. Regina looked almost peaceful, Emma noted, laying there so still. As if she were simply taking a nap.

Emma took the seat next to Regina and grasped her hand, listened to the sound of Regina's heart rate. A clear IV tube stuck out of her forearm and a plastic tube wrapped over her ears, just under her nose. "Regina? Can you hear me? I'm right here." Emma watched and waited for a sign, a twitch, a moan. "I'm so sorry," she breathed. Emma dropped her head onto their intertwined hands. "God, I'm sorry."

Henry stood at Regina's other side, his hands jammed in his pockets, terrified that he'd hurt her somehow. "You're gonna be OK, Mom," was all he could bring himself to say. Carefully, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I love you," he whispered.

A lightbulb went off in Emma's head. She jerked upwards frantically and looked at Henry. "That's it," she said. "True Love's Kiss! If Regina and I managed to make a baby, I can sure as hell wake her up from this." Without wasting another moment, Emma leapt to her feet and offered Regina a gentle kiss. "I love you," she said, hopeful magic would save them again. She lingered only for a moment before breaking away. It wasn't long before Regina's eyes fluttered and a strained groan escaped her lips. "Regina?"

Whale rushed to his patient's side and took her pulse. "Regina?" he asked, somewhat loudly. "Regina, it's Dr. Whale, can you look at me?"

Regina's dark eyebrows knit together as her eyes opened slowly, immediately falling on Emma. The blonde stared with baited breath, holding tightly to Regina's hand.

As soon as she felt the contact, though, Regina recoiled from the touched. "Emma? You're here? What… what's going on?" She hastily took in her surroundings, the white walls, the beeping machines. "How did we get back?"

Emma brushed through Regina's hair and tucked it behind her ear. "Everything's OK. You're gonna be fine," she promised.

Regina scrunched her nose and shook her head slowly, both in confusion and an attempt to duck away from Emma's hand. When she looked over at Henry, her features twisted and the vein in her forehead began to throb. "Henry?" Slowly, Regina scanned the rest of the room. From the small window in the door, she could see Snow and David peeking through. "What are your parents doing here?"

"They were worried," Emma said. "We all were. You scared the shit out of us for a second."

Worried? The Charmings? No matter how much had changed in the last few years, somehow, the notion of either Snow or David actually worrying for her wellbeing didn't seem to fit for Regina.

Shifting beneath the covers, that's when Regina felt the band wrapped tightly around her stomach. "What's happened? What is all this?"

"That's the fetal monitor," Dr. Whale explained. "It tracks the baby's heart rate." He pointed to the machine on Regina's left, to the paper feed that grew by the second.

"Baby," Regina echoed. "What baby?" And just like that, the light in Emma's eyes quickly extinguished when she heard Regina's question. She and Henry exchanged a quick glance at one another before turning to Whale, both silent, both suddenly terrified. "What baby?" Regina asked again, this time in a tone of voice neither Henry or Emma had heard in years.

"Our baby." Somewhere deep inside, Emma knew she shouldn't have said anything. But it was a reflex. It just sort of flew out. And when it did, Emma knew it was a mistake. The look on Regina's face, the pure storm that began to wage, it was enough to bring Emma to her knees again.

Regina's eyes traveled from Emma to Henry, and back to Emma. "If this is your idea of a joke, you are—"

"Regina," Dr. Whale interjected carefully. "What exactly is the last thing that you remember?"

A slew of images flashed before Regina, a slideshow going too fast for her to make sense of it all. The Bug. The town line. Emma's leather jacket. "Emma and Henry," she finally breathed. "They were in the car, leaving Storybrooke."

Nodding, Emma said, "We all were. We were going to Portland."

"Portland?" Regina repeated. "As in, beyond the border? I don't… I don't understand. I thought— you said you were going to New York."

Turning with a desperate pleading in her eyes, Emma stared at Whale, realization slowly sinking. "Regina, what's today's date?"

"December 13th," Regina responded automatically. "2013." She watched as three heads turned away from her, saw Henry clench his jaw. Sensed Emma stiffen next to her. Heard the heavy sigh Whale thought he was holding back. "What?"

Emma looked away and tried to hide the pain in her eyes, the way her chest felt as though it were about to explode.

Whale cleared his throat and folded his hands in front of him. Years ago, he would've taken delight in the Queen's downfall— nearly had, too. But times had changed. Regina wasn't the same person she had been in the Enchanted Forest. He was no longer speaking to the woman who had been willing to do anything to have her dead lover back, but rather a woman who would sacrifice herself for the entire town.

"Regina," Whale said sadly, "I'm afraid there's been an accident."

* * *

"Six years?" Regina repeated in disbelief. Sat upright against the hospital bed, she held her hands in her lap and kept her voice steady. The heart monitor tracking the baby beeped beside her, and though she tried to tune it out, she couldn't help but get lost in the rhythmic beeping. "That— that can't be right." Gazing over at Emma, Regina couldn't help but grimace at the thought. "And the two of us are… together? Since when?"

Standing at the edge of the bed, Henry pressed his palms against the plastic railing, his shoulders rising up to his ears. "Since you two broke Pan's curse," Henry said casually.

If there was ever a time for him to excuse himself, Dr. Whale knew it was right then. "I think I'll leave you all to it. I'll be back to check on you in an hour." He nodded to Regina, then to Emma, with Emma, only he seemed to give her a look of pity. She could've punched him right in the nose.

When he left, when Emma heard the door click, took a tentative step forward. Her arms folded, she wrapped herself in a sort of hug. "Maybe we should hold off on any big stuff for now," she suggested. "It's been a long day and you should probably get some rest." She wanted to take the chair by Regina, to reach for Regina's hand, to kiss her and tell her everything was going to be OK. But she could see it in Regina's eyes; this wasn't her Regina. Not the one she'd spent the last five years with.

"I'm going to have find out at some point," Regina remarked. "I hardly think anything else will top this," she said as she gestured to her stomach.

Henry peered over at his blonde mother with curious eyes, as if asking her permission. When Emma simply shrugged, Henry turned his gaze back to Regina. "You guys broke Pan's curse," Henry explained. "Hook came to get us in New York and brought us back here. I still didn't remember, but Mom did. You two figured out who cast it. And you broke it."

"How?" Regina asked, though she had a nagging suspicion.

"True Love's Kiss," Henry said. "The way all curses are broken."

Regina swallowed hard before parting her lips once again. "I see."

"Kid, that's probably enough for now. We should let your mom—"

"Ms. Swan?" Emma cringed at the formal title, like nails on a chalkboard. Regina shot Emma a hard, seething glare. "I realize there's a lot I seem to have missed, but I assure you, I am still me. I still free will. Which means I have say over how much I can handle. Is that clear?" Emma nodded silently and looked down at the floor. Regina felt an odd twinge of guilt, but managed to brush it off. She had every right to be cross. Didn't she…? "So, tell me. What happened that landed me here? Why have I… forgotten so much?"

Emma shifted uncomfortably. "It's complicated."

"Then explain it to me."

The two had a staring contest before Emma realized she'd already lost. "Cora... she showed up this morning. Hook came to warn us, but, he didn't give us a whole lot to go on." Playing with the zipper on her jacket, Emma continued, her cheeks burning bright red. "I thought it would help if we spent the day together, that it would take our mind off things… We were driving towards the line, but the car broke down. And then… Cora… she just showed up," she said again. Tears stung behind Emma's eyes as she saw the gears in Regina's mind struggle.

"And?" Regina prompted impatiently.

Emma took a deep breath. "She knew about your necklace, that you had to wear it to leave town. I was working on the car when you saw her. You were by the line when… when she…"

"Why didn't you stop her?" Regina asked without missing a beat.

A piece of Emma's heart broke off at the brutality of Regina's question; she'd been asking herself the same thing. "I didn't know."

But Regina just scoffed. "Aren't you the Triumphant Savior? How is it that I ended up with you if you couldn't save me?"

"I tried," Emma stammered.

"You obviously didn't try hard enough!" Emma flinched, the already deep knife lodged in her chest turning even further. Regina had shouted at her. It had been so long since Emma had seen that side of Regina, she'd almost forgotten that it existed.

"Mom—" Henry tried to cut in, to play the peacekeeper.

"What else should I be aware of?" she snapped as she glared at Emma. "Just how did all of this," she pointed to her bump again, "come about? Don't tell me I agreed to something so—"

"Regina," Emma interrupted forcefully. "I know you're freaking out right now, but please… don't say something you'll regret." Narrowing her eyes at Emma, Regina sensed Henry watching her. Fueled by adrenaline, the brunette struggled to maintain composure. It was only when the beeping on the motor next to her sped up that she realized how far her temper had gone.

Her hands balled into fists, Emma pointed to the door with her thumb. "Look, I'm gonna go grab you some water. Henry, you stay with your mom, OK? I'll be right back."

"I don't need a babysitter, Ms. Swan."

But Emma was already halfway through the door, the tears she'd been holding the whole time finally streaming down her cheeks as she leaned against the wall and slid down onto the floor.


	5. Chapter 5

Regina was released the next morning, with the condition that she remained under the care of Henry and Emma, much to her own displeasure. Henry had spent the night at Regina's bedside, while Emma had prepared their house accordingly. She knew Regina— even this incarnation of the woman; she knew space was the best thing she could give her.

Emma assumed Regina would want to sleep alone, made up the guest room for herself. Threw a pile of clothes onto the bed, enough for a couple of weeks at most. Rearranged their room to best fit Regina's needs, hoped it would suffice for the time being… however long that meant.

Emma hadn't gotten much sleep that night. Alone in their bed, without the comfort of Regina's warmth, the Savior tossed and turned in the darkness. Every time she began to drift off, she saw Cora pushing Regina over the line— watched Regina crumpled to the ground over and over again. She checked her phone obsessively, desperate to hear good news. Henry had promised to text her updates, but there were few to report. Regina hadn't remembered anything.

When Emma arrived that morning, she found Regina sitting in a wheelchair and Henry standing behind, ready to steer. Regina was wearing the same clothes she'd been brought to the hospital in. Her hair was a bit flatter. All traces of her makeup had disappeared. The softness in her eyes that Emma had come to appreciate had vanished.

"The car's out front," Emma informed Henry as she tossed him the keys to the Mercedes. "I'll meet you down there." Regina didn't say anything to Emma, hardly even acknowledged her presence.

Emma watched as Henry rolled Regina down the hall, her teenaged son towering over most of the nurses. It was only when they'd turned the corner that she meandered through the ward until she found Whale at a station.

"Emma," the doctor greeted. "I hear you're taking Regina home." The sheriff nodded stiffly. "Try and remember what I said yesterday: take it slow. It's best not to overwhelm her with too much information. Her memories will return in their own time. Keeping her calm is the best thing for her and the baby."

Emma sighed and tried not to roll her eyes. "Right. So, until then, we just… treat her like we did in 2013? Act like we're not a family? Pretend that she's not pregnant?"

Whale pressed his lips in a tight line, empathy etched in his features. "I wish I could tell you there was a 'right way' to work through this. All I can say to take—"

"Take it slow,'" Emma echoed. "Yeah. Right. Thanks Doc."

* * *

The house was cold and empty when they walked in. Henry supporting Regina as she shuffled into the foyer. There were more pictures than she remembered, frames hanging on adjacent walls and propped up on the fireplace. Pictures of the happy family they'd supposedly become. She saw herself smiling, being held by Emma, laughing effortlessly. But she felt nothing. To Regina, it was all a narrative of another life, one she had no connection to.

"Are you hungry?" Emma asked as she closed the door behind them. "I could make us some breakfast."

"It's 11 o'clock," Regina said dryly.

The memory of just two days ago flashed in Emma's mind, Regina's tone of slight disapproval at her eating habits. Maybe some things hadn't changed. "OK, then, lunch?" Regina was about to refuse, but a fearsome growl vibrated through her body and gave it away. "I'll take that as a 'yes,'" Emma chuckled. Turning towards the kitchen, Emma nodded to their son. "Henry, why don't you take your mom upstairs—"

"No need," Regina replied in a clipped fashion. "I can find my own way to my room." Emma and Henry watched as Regina reached for the rail and carried herself up the spiral staircase, both of them dying to offer assistance, but smart enough to let Regina do it on her own.

Regina recognized most of the second floor; the carpet was the same, none of the furniture had been replaced. There were more photos, though. More snapshots of a life that was foreign to Regina. She did her best to ignore the pictures, scrambled to her room, shut the door behind her.

Her back pressed against the wood, Regina slowly inspected her quarters. The bed had been made in a sloppy fashion, Emma's work no doubt. A folded set of pajamas sat on top of blanket, along with a towel set. Regina scoffed. The nerve of Emma, treating her like a guest in her own house— as if Regina hadn't meticulously designated a place for everything.

Putting one foot in front of another, Regina took inventory of the space. Her vanity sat just where it always had. Various makeup kits were sprawled across desk, as if someone had been in a rush. Again, Regina assumed it had been Emma. But upon closer inspection, she noticed they were all of the brands she had always used. She wouldn't have been so careless, though. Wouldn't have left the house without making sure they were put away correctly. Would she?

Unlike the rest of the room, the bathroom was immaculately clean, no doubt her own doing. It was slightly different than she remembered, though. A small, purple rug matched the curtains. Charcoal, marble served as the bathroom counters. Two toothbrushes, a yellow one and a purple one, sat together in a porcelain holder. There was a petite, shell-shaped cup with earrings in it. Two brands of shampoo sat in adjacent corners of the shower, her own and a blue bottle she didn't recognize.

As Regina examined the rest of the room, she parsed through the closets and the dresser. Her own clothes took up more than half of the space. Where Emma's clothes had previously been, was now a gap, an emptiness Regina suddenly felt somewhat guilty about. She could smell her own perfume, but she could also smell the faint traces of spice. Traces of Emma. Evidence that this was no longer only Regina's room, but _theirs_.

Sitting on the bed, Regina closed her eyes. _Six years._ She lost six years of her life, five of which had apparently been spent with Emma. Emma Swan. The Savior. The daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. Sure, they'd been on civil terms before, but this was a whole new level.

Lost in her train of thought, her brow furrowed as she struggled to wrap her mind around the whole ordeal, she never heard the footsteps approaching.

A gentle tap on the door snatched Regina out of her daze, one hand instinctively falling towards her stomach. "Yes?" She called out stiffly.

The door opened a crack and Emma's head popped through, her blonde curls dangling loosely. "Food's ready."

Pressing her lips together, Regina scoffed. "You cooked? I didn't realize you possessed any culinary skills."

With a sad smile, Emma shrugged. "You've been teaching me. You even trust me to make your lasagna now." There was a brief pause before Regina's hands flew over her mouth as she rushed into the bathroom. Emma followed closely behind her, stood in the doorway and averted her gaze out of respect, offering a washcloth. "Ok. So, maybe something else for lunch?"

Regina let out a heavy sigh as she accepted the gesture ruefully, her eyes a bit watery. "What the hell was that?"

"That would be morning sickness," Emma informed, her hands shoved into her pockets almost guiltily. "Don't worry, it's actually been better the last couple of days."

"And just how much more of this should I expect to endure?" Regina asked.

"Well, you're just over four months gone. So…" Emma did the math in her head. "16-18 more weeks." She tried to offer a friendly smile, tried to lighten the mood. But Regina merely glared at her. "Saltines usually help. And some cider."

Without batting an eye, Emma conjured the remedies and held them out to a stunned Regina. "Your magic…" the brunette hummed.

Blushing somewhat, Emma said, "Oh. Right. I've got a little more control over it now."

"A 'little?'"

Emma just shrugged again in that modest way of hers. "Like I said: you've been teaching me."

Grudgingly, Regina reached for the crackers and cider. Sure enough, three crackers and half a glass later, Regina felt her stomach settling. "Thank you," she murmured once she was sure she could keep it all down.

"Anytime." Emma tried not to stare, did her best to keep her distance— physically and emotionally. "Look, whenever you're ready, we'll be downstairs. I'll try and whip up something that won't make you sick."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Good luck with that."

* * *

Their day was a rather quiet one, spent indoors, hardly a word spoken between Regina and Emma. Henry had been slowly informing Regina of their routines, careful not to give too much away. Regina wasn't really listening though. She was too distracted by the mature young man her son had turned into. The deepness of his voice, the chiseled jaw, his broadening shoulders. When she looked into his eyes, she could see a hint of the boy he'd once been.

Meanwhile, Emma was busy keeping tabs on the town, her phone in her hand as she awaited word from David. Cora still hadn't been sighted, though half of Storybrooke was on alert. Wherever she was hiding, she was doing a damn good job of it. Emma cursed herself for not being better at locator spells, though she suspected Cora would have some extra-strength cloaking magic.

Around three o'clock, however, Emma's phone rang. It was David. When she heard the news, she wasted no time in grabbing her coat and keys. "I have to go," she told Henry and Regina hurriedly as she rushed towards the door. "Emergency at work. Call me if you need anything!"

"Does she always tear through the house like a tornado?" Regina asked Henry as she joined him on the couch. She'd meant it as somewhat of a joke, but there was a cautiousness in Henry's eyes she couldn't help but notice. In an effort to change the subject, Regina gestured to the notepad in his lap. "You've started writing?"

A sly smirk crossed Henry's lips as he looked over at his mother. "You could say that."

Passing the paper over to Regina, Henry watched as she read the passage. "I see your creativity hasn't dwindled."

Henry let out a gentle chuckle. "I mean, I _am_ the Author." At Regina's puzzled expression, Henry took a deep breath. "Ok, I know we're not supposed to tell you too much, but… the Book, the one with everyone's stories. There's dozens of them. All written by different Authors. A few years ago, I found out that I'm the next one." The way Henry spoke, it was as if it were the most normal thing in the world. There was a confidence in his voice, a sense of pride Regina had never heard before.

"Well," Regina sighed. "It appears I've missed even more than I previously thought. I suppose next, you'll tell me there's a new Dark One." Henry licked his lips nervously and shifted in his seat. "There's a new Dark One? Is Rumple—"

"He's alive," Henry said quickly. "He's still the Dark One. But, um…"

"Henry," his mother urged sternly. Regina sat up as straight as she could, with the help of a sofa pillow lodged between her lower back and the couch.

Fidgeting with the spine of the notebook, Henry gave into Regina's impatient glare. "Emma sorta became the Dark One… temporarily." He watched as Regina's eyes widened, heard the spike in her heart rate. "It's all good though! It didn't last long. And you guys won, like you always do. So…" Henry reorganized the fire in Regina's eyes, the way her nostrils flared in fury. He could see the gears turning in her mind, knew that she was teetering very close to the edge of impulsivity. "What's the last thing you remember?" He wondered timidly. "I know you told Ma already, but maybe there's something we missed? Something that could help us figure out why so much time was erased?"

Regina was doubtful, but she heard the optimism in her son's voice. Slowly, she let her anger at Emma wither away as she parsed through the muddled images that flashed before her. "The last thing I remember," she started with a sigh, "is sending you and Emma over the town line."

"Pan's curse."

Regina nodded solemnly. "The next thing I know, I'm waking up in a hospital bed six years later, apparently pregnant," she gestured to her midsection, "and by Emma Swan, none the less."

Henry tried not to cringe at the way Regina said Emma's name, tried to ignore the bite in her words. "I know it's probably hard to believe, but you and Ma really are happy together," he offered.

"So happy we've decided to expand, I see," Regina grumbled.

"You are though," Henry urged. "Ma's been going crazy the last few weeks. She can't wait to start on the nursery. You two already picked out some colors." All Regina could do was shake her head. This life was anything but what she'd imagined hers would be.

* * *

Emma didn't tell Henry and Regina where exactly she was going. Didn't want to alarm them or get their hopes up. A lead was never a certain thing. Answers weren't a guarantee. But, when she got to the station and found David waiting for her, Cora locked behind bars, a mixture of relief and rage washed over her.

Her blood started boiling the very moment she laid eyes on Cora, her hands balled into fists. She made a bee-line for the woman, ready to rip her apart, until David blocked her path.

"Dad—"

"Emma, wait. Listen." David put his hands on her shoulders in an effort to focus her. "Cora turned herself in."

"I don't care if she ripped her own heart out, I'm gonna kill her." Emma tried to push against her father, but he was stronger, sturdier.

"That's the problem," David said plainly. "She doesn't have her heart."

Emma shot a fierce glare at Cora. "Bullshit."

"It's true," Cora said from the cell, fingers curled around the metal grate. "See for yourself."

As if conferring with David, Emma stared up at him. When he stepped aside, Emma started towards Cora. She'd only done this a handful of times before, did everything her power to avoid having to unless it were absolutely necessary. This was absolutely necessary.

Rolling up her sleeve, Emma took another step and held her hand out in front of Cora's chest. Without warning, the Savior thrust her arm forward, only to find an empty cavity. Emma retracted her hand slowly, ignored Cora's sharp gasp, and planted herself firmly before the former Queen.

"Ok," Emma grunted. "Talk."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N -** Short update! Little dialogue here. But sometimes, less is more.

* * *

When Emma returned home later that evening, the last thing she'd expected to find was Regina sitting alone at the dining room table. Worn out and unable to clear her head, the Savior wrestled with the desire to see Regina. A week ago, Regina would have been upset because Emma missed dinner. But now. Would Regina even care? Would she have been worried?

In the end, Emma knew that avoiding Regina would only make things worse. At some point, they were going to have to interact.

"Hey," Emma greeted after struggling to find her voice. She'd traveled through into the room quietly, careful not to startle Regina. Then again, this Regina didn't exactly startle easily.

Her gaze focused on the small glass before her, Regina hummed an earnest, "Hey." A stack of books piled around her, there was a sadness in her voice, a resignation of defeat almost. "You know," Regina half-chuckled, "I thought reading these would help somehow, that filling in the missing chapters of my life would make this less confusing. But… it only made it worse."

Leaning against the doorframe, Emma recognized the books immediately and let out a heavy sigh. "Regina, I—"

"Because, I'm sitting here and I'm learning about things I've done and the hero I've supposedly become, but it doesn't make sense," Regina said as she shook her head, "Because if I've really done so much good, if I've actually redeemed myself, then none of this should be happening, right? Heroes are meant to get happy endings, but this… this doesn't seem like much of a happy ending to me."

As Regina struggled to understand it all, Emma wanted nothing more than to be close to her partner. To hold her hand. To hug her. To promise her that everything was going to be OK.

"I'm sorry—"

"Please," Regina interjected. "I don't want to know how sorry you are or hear how hard you tried. That doesn't help me."

Nodding solemnly, Emma said, "I know."

Regina shot a piercing look at Emma, one of hurt mixed with anger. "No, you don't." She knew her tone was sharp, but she couldn't help it. Even when Emma winced, Regina couldn't stop herself. "You have no idea," Regina remarked.

She made note of the slight hunch in Emma's shoulders, the exhaustion that tinged her eyes, the pinkness in her cheeks. This wasn't the same Emma that left with Henry all those years ago, that much was abundantly clear. But it wasn't just the passage of time that Regina noticed; it was the way Emma looked at her, the line between friendship and something more clearly crossed.

When there was nothing she could think of to say, nothing that would satisfy Regina, Emma gestured to the staircase behind her. "It's been a long day," she offered. "And I've got a feeling things aren't going to slow down at all. If… if you need anything, I'm just across the hall." Turning to leave, Emma stopped and offered a small piece of advice. "If you can't sleep, try laying on your left side with a pillow between your knees."

Regina sat and listened to Emma's footsteps as they faded, listened to the slight creak in the floor and imagined Emma disappearing into the guest room.

The stories had ended with the Final Battle nearly two years ago, with the hope of a new beginning for all of them, a happy ending— the Happy Ending. That was all that was written. Beyond that, everything else remained a mystery. She'd read about her and Emma's story, the way they're family had evolved over the years, the way she herself had evolved. She read about the sacrifices they'd all made since Neverland, the enemies they'd faced, and the friends that had entered their lives.

Once again, Regina was left to read about her life from the outside. And once again, she had no control of over her own story, however good she was painted to be. This wasn't like the last time she'd lost her memories, it wasn't a few weeks or a few months she was missing, but an entire lifetime.

As if it could sense the stress weighing down on Regina, the baby nudged its mother from the inside, startling Regina out of her thoughts. For the third time that day, Regina peered down at her stomach, her once firm abdomen now soft and full of life; a life she had no recollection of creating, one she'd awoken to just 24 hours before, and one she already felt so desperately protective of— deep down, she knew Emma felt the same way.

* * *

That night, Emma lay awake with her hands behind her head, staring out at the stars through her window. After the day she'd had, she should've been in a deep sleep. She was more than drained; her limbs were, heavy enough to drag her back down to the Underworld. When she closed her eyes, she felt the familiar pull of drowsiness. But she was afraid to fall asleep. Convinced she had to be on guard.

She thought about what Cora had told her, wanted so desperately not to believe her, knew the woman's past of trickery and deception. She'd seen the effects of Cora's lessons on Regina over the years, the hurt she'd caused her daughter. It was in the way Regina struggled to say "I love you," the way she looked away when Emma repeated those same words to her, the years of convincing Regina that she wasn't weak.

Regina may not have hated Cora, but Emma sure did. She'd imagined a day like today many times, the chance to confront Regina's mother with the knowledge she had now. She knew Cora wasn't to be trusted back then, and no matter what she said, she was not to be trusted now. But God. What if she was right? What if she really didn't know who had her heart? What if Cora was actually innocent? Then who was to blame?

And then Emma thought about Regina, Henry, and the baby. Her family. The people she loved most in the entire world. The people who never left her side, who never gave up on her. As Emma's mind wandered to their unborn child, she stifled the scream that bubbled in her chest. She wanted to yell, to shout, to break something. It'd hadn't even been two full days and she was already fighting a feeling of defeat.

True Love's Kiss hadn't worked. Emma didn't understand why. The only person who could, well, she wasn't exactly thrilled to share a space with the blonde. Of course, there was the Blue Fairy, but even her power had its limits. Emma wanted answers. More than that, she wanted revenge. But she knew that if Cora wasn't in control of her actions, it wouldn't be right to seek vengeance on her. Still. Emma thirsted for it, wanted nothing more than to find the person responsible and to tear them to shreds. No matter what the cost.


	7. Chapter 7

Regina awoke the next morning to the scent of waffles filling the air, an aroma that, thankfully, didn't make her sick to her stomach. After nearly an hour of tossing and turning, she'd reluctantly applied Emma's advice and fell asleep within a matter of minutes. Much as she'd hate to admit it, it had been a far more relaxing slumber than the hospital bed the night before.

From down below, Regina heard muffled voices as Emma and Henry continued to prepare breakfast. A low guffaw echoed through the house, though Henry tried his best to stifle it. Regina hadn't heard what it was that was so funny, but assumed the worst if he was with Emma; most likely something grossly inappropriate or embarrassingly infantile. And yet, there was something rather comforting in hearing her son so happy.

Tossing the covers to the side, Regina swung her legs over the bed and stretched her arms towards the ceiling. She paused for a moment as a dizzy spell washed over her, leaned against the nightstand in an effort to steady herself. When the room stopped spinning, Regina grabbed her bathrobe, tied it around her ever expanding waist, and headed for the staircase.

The closer she drew to the kitchen, the louder her stomach growled.

"Hey," she heard Emma reprimand. "Save some for the rest of us."

Getting ready to turn the corner, her hands in the pockets of her robe, Regina stopped in front of the hallway mirror and glanced at her reflection for the first time in two and a half days. She'd been dreading this moment, terrified that along with her life, her reflection would be yet another reminder that she was as stranger in her own body.

Aside from the length of her hair and the fullness of her cheeks, Regina was relieved to find that her appearance hadn't changed too drastically. Her laugh lines were a bit more pronounced and the crinkles around her eyes somewhat bigger, marks of the the years that had passed. On the outside, Regina was the same person she'd always been.

"Well, I see you two have gotten an early start to the day," Regina said as she shuffled through the doorway.

Still chewing on his third strip of bacon, Henry pulled out Regina's chair for her and gestured for her to sit. "Ma made French toast!" He eclaimed. "Don't worry, you're gonna love it," he promised when he saw the apprehension in Regina's face.

She watched as Emma set down two large plates, one with waffles and one with French toast. Scanning the various items on the table, Regina huffed slightly. "Don't tell me this is a normal spread? There's hardly anything green. And where is the fresh frui—"

Regina fell short when Emma returned with a platter of sliced bananas, apples, and peeled oranges. "Fresh from the garden," the blonde informed as she took her seat across Henry. "Well, the apples are. Everything else is store-bought."

All the food was set and everyone sat in their usual places. For a moment, it felt like any other morning; like any second now, Henry was going to challenge Emma to a waffle-eating contest while Regina rolled her eyes and made a comment about "childish behavior." Or that Emma would reach for the last piece of French toast and Regina would stop her, block Emma's fork with her own.

When Regina simply stared at the miniature feast that laid out before her, Emma remembered that it wasn't like every other morning. It wouldn't be for a while.

"I wasn't sure how hungry you'd be," Emma began before reaching to fill Regina's glass. "Tried to cover all the bases: meat, eggs, bread, fruit," she said with a slight smile.

Unable to tear her eyes away from the plate of bacon, her mouth watering at the sight, Regina cleared her throat and said, "What, erm… what do I normally eat?" Only after she'd said did she realize how foolish she sounded.

"When you're hungry, everything," Henry chuckled. A sharp hiss escaped his lips as Emma kicked his leg under the table.

"Eat whatever you're hungry for," Emma murmured assuringly. "No rules here."

"Yes, I can see that," Regina muttered.

Emma and Regina had shared many meals over the years, and though the blonde often teased the brunette for her prim ettiequte, it wasn't until now that Emma truly felt bad about it. Watching Regina sit with her back pencil straight, her forearms barely resting against the table, a fork in knife in separate hands— Emma could almost see the concentration in Regina's face.

"I've gotta go into the station today," Emma began as Regina continued to cut her food in nearly equal portions. "There's some… stuff that I need to take care of."

"By 'stuff,' I assume you mean my mother," Regina said without looking at Emma. "I thought so," she quipped when she noticed Emma's lack of denial. "In that case, I'll be going with you."

Henry and Emma exchanged a brief moment of shared uncertainty. "Are you… are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, you heard Whale. Too much too soon can—"

"Oh, what does he know? He got his degree from a curse," Regina said dismissively. "Besides, if Cora is the one responsible for all of this, I think I have a right to find out why, don't you?"

"Fine," Emma said somewhat curtly. "There's just one thing I gotta take care of before we go."

* * *

"Tell me again, dearie, just why is it you needed my assistance when we both know you are more than capable of defending yourself?" Gold followed Emma begrudgingly down Main Street, the Savior marching boldly, fueled by fury.

One hand resting on her holster, Emma stared out at Granny's Bed and Breakfast as she spoke. "We don't have time for 20 questions, Gold."

"Oh, I think we do. If you want my help," Gold replied in a steely tone.

With an aggravated sigh, Emma put it in the simplest terms she could. "Hook isn't afraid of me by myself, but the two of us— I figure that's enough fire power to get him talking."

"Ah yes, the Dark One and the Savior. A truly destined duo."

Stopping in her tracks, Emma spun around and glared at the wizard. "Look, you didn't have to come. If you don't want to help, fine. Go. But I've got a feeling you hate this guy just as much as I do, if not more. As the Savior— hell, as the sheriff, I'm giving you a free pass to do whatever it is you wanna do to him." They stood there for a moment in a silent standoff, Emma daring Gold to walk away. The Dwarfs scurried by, every one of them felt the tension that lingered between Emma and Gold.

It was true, Emma could do this on her own. She'd confronted evil far bigger and far more powerful than Killian Jones. She'd fought a dragon, had faced Peter Pan, had defeated the Darkness. But it was also true that the two of them had more power combined. There was more to the story than what Cora had told her, Emma could feel it.

Eventually, Gold relented. He nodded to Emma in a curt manner, as if he'd just been given an order by a superior and was rather unhappy about it. In a rare moment of compromise, the Dark One gestured for Emma to lead them again as he trailed behind.

When they got to the room, Emma banged on the door with a closed fist. As if propelled by adrenaline, she pulled her gun out of its holster, and kicked down the door. "Hook?" She called out as she searched the room. "Hey! Guyliner!"

Gold emerged from the bedroom and shook his head. "Nothing," he half-growled.

Emma let out a mirthless scoff. "Figures. Bastard probably skipped town the second he heard Cora was here." Pressing her hands down against the wooden dining table, Emma cursed herself for not putting Hook under surveillance sooner. Without warning, Emma one of the chairs and let out a gruff, "Dammit!"

Gold, meanwhile, remained calm. "Cora said she doesn't know who has her heart?" Emma nodded. "And now, the only other person who might have had any information is gone? How convenient. Of course, it's not exactly a surprise. Something like this happening, to Regina of all people…" Gold thought aloud.

At Gold's furrowed brow, Emma stood up straighter. "What?"

Shaking his head, Gold said, "If you don't mind, I think I'll join you in speaking with Cora."

* * *

It wasn't without great reluctance that Emma gave into Regina's request to walk to the station on her own. Emma never had any say in what Regina did, she knew better than to try now. She was worried, though. She couldn't help herself. She couldn't stop thinking about all of the things that could go wrong in the five minute route from their house to Main Street.

To her immense relief, Regina arrived unharmed. If anything, she even seemed relaxed, refreshed. Emma could tell that Regina had taken a shower since breakfast, her hair shinier and blow-dried; the scent of her shampoo sent Emma back in time to when they first met.

Emma met Regina at the door and gestured to Gold. "Don't worry about him," she said when she saw Regina's lip begin to curl. "He's on our side." Whether it helped or not, Emma couldn't tell. "Are you ready?" Regina simply nodded, expressionless. Emma suppressed the overpowering urge to lead Regina by the hand, and instead, stepped aside and opened the path.

"Regina," a voice beckoned. "Is that you?"

Suddenly, the whole room shifted and all Regina could see was her mother. Cora sat in her cell, her back against the wall, her hands cuffed together. Wearing the same clothes she'd died in, she looked as if time had stood still.

Regina's legs carried her forward, as if they had a mind of their own. "Mother?" she inhaled sharply. The word slipped from her lips with the same disbelief as the day before, the same wonder and confusion.

Now standing at the edge of her cage, nodding slowly. "Regina. I'm… I'm so sorry." Her eyes fell to the swell in Regina's abdomen, felt the sting of tears as she realized.

It sounded sincere, but a small voice inside of Regina told her to tread carefully. "You… you died. In my arms. I held you as you took your last breath," she said as she shook her head.

"You don't remember?" Cora sighed sadly. "In the Underworld… you and your sister. You both forgave me. You allowed me to move on."

"I don't understand. How are you here?"

Avoiding Regina's question, Cora looked to Emma. "You went to the pirate, I assume? Did he say anything?"

"Nothing," Emma grumbled. "He's gone."

"Hook?" Regina echoed. "What the hell does that mangy pirate have to with anything?"

Emma offered Regina a sympathetic look. There was so much Regina didn't know, so much Emma had to fill her in on. It hadn't even been two days yet and Regina was… well, being Regina.

Regina turned back to Cora, unable to sort through her racing thoughts. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. "Mother. How did you get here?" She asked again, this time with more force.

"Don't leave us in suspense, dearie," Gold poked.

"And don't even think about lying," Emma threatened. "Your daughter's been teaching me a thing or two about magic."

Not only was she confined in a metal box, but Cora was now surrounded. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't escape. And though she no longer possessed her heart, a shimmer of guilt flickered in her eyes. Cora parted her lips in preparation for a confession.

In a soft voice, Cora shook her head. Right when it seemed as if she were about to offer an explanation, the same coldness she once embodied, the coldness Regina had grown up with, returned with a vengeance. Regina saw the shift in Cora, the flicker of bitterness in her eyes, recognized the abrupt change. Almost instinctively, she shot an arm out in front of Emma, as if to protect her. Emma, meanwhile, attempted to put herself between Cora and Regina for the same reason.

Standing up a little taller, holding her head a bit higher, Cora smiled wickedly at the group. Glancing over at the clock, she hummed, "God, this is exhausting. I'll admit, I'm a bit disappointed in you. You have quite the reputation. I'd have thought you'd surely be a bit quicker. Some Savior you are." Turning to Regina, Cora's grin only grew wider. "It really is a pity about your memories," she sighed. "I assure you, this was the least painful route.

"Ah, Rumplestiltskin. Long time no see," Cora nodded cordially to Gold. "I seem to recall you were a bit… scalier last we met."

Gold had crossed paths with many people in his existence, some of whom left longer lasting marks than others. Though the woman standing before him looked and sounded like Cora, he knew for a fact it was not her.

"Where is Cora's heart?" Gold asked in a clipped manner.

Cora let out laugh. "You know better than that, Rumplestiltskin. Telling you would take away the fun."

Emma could practically feel Regina's heart beating, could hear the woman's staggered breaths. "Who are you?" The Savior asked.

"Does that really matter?" Cora countered. "There's nothing you can do."

Frowning deeply, Emma put the pieces together. "You sent Hook here," she breathed. "You set us up." When Cora replied with a tight-lipped smirk, Emma's hands curled into fists at her sides. "You took Regina's memories— you took away everything!" Her body vibrating with rage, Emma fought the urge to lunge at Cora. "She's pregnant for Christ's sake!" Her chest felt as if it were about to explode, but Emma kept going.

Unfazed by Emma's show of anger, Cora remained still. "It's amazing isn't it? The lengths a mother would go to protect her child, to care for it. And what do they get in return? An ungrateful, impudent daughter who doesn't understand that mother always knows best."

Gold examined Cora curiously, silently. It didn't take long for him to realize who it was they were truly speaking to. "Gothel," he hissed.

"In the flesh," Cora said with a proud curtsey.

"I thought you'd been turned to dust."

Cora waved a hand dismissively. "Oh that? That was just… a hiccup. I assure you, I've never been better."

"Is that so?" Gold countered. "In that case, why don't you show yourself? Why hide behind Cora?"

"A girl's got to maintain some mystery," Cora said coyly.

Peering over at Emma and Regina, both of whom were completely and utterly lost, Gold held out an arm like a circus master and motioned to Cora. "Ladies, it is my extreme displeasure to introduce you to Mother Gothel."

* * *

 **AN - Idk what's happening here. I couldn't stop myself.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N -** Another brief update! Thanks for the lovely comments so far! So glad you're enjoying the story! Also, unlike the last time, the italics in this chapter are a memory, not a dream.

* * *

 _The sun rose slowly over the horizon and peeked through the sheer curtains that hung over their windows, bright rays illuminating the space. Emma had been awake for half an hour, alone with her racing thoughts. The only thing that seemed to keep her grounded was the love of her life sleeping soundly beside her and the light snoring that accompanied._

 _It wasn't long before Regina began to stir, rolling onto her other side with tired exhale. Careful not to jostle the bed, Emma leaned in and tenderly draped an arm over Regina's waist. As she planted a kiss on Regina's neck, the brunette's hand instinctively slipped into Emma's and Regina hugged the woman closer._

 _"Hello," Regina greeted in a groggy voice._

 _"Hi," Emma whispered back. She buried her face in Regina's neck and took in the familiar scent of lavender. "Sleep well?"_

 _Regina nodded slightly. "Mhmm."_

 _"Any good dreams?" Emma wondered._

 _"The best." Regina let out a slight moan as she stretched underneath the blankets. Gracefully, she turned to look Emma in the eye and couldn't help but smile._

 _With the back of her hand, Emma grazed Regina's cheek affectionately and kissed Regina's forehead. "God, I love you."_

 _"The feeling's mutual."_

 _Emma watched as Regina's eyes began to close yet again. "Regina?"_

 _"Hm?"_

 _"Let's have a baby." Emma braced herself as those four words filled the air, and waited for a reply that never came. "Gina?"_

 _Regina's eyes shot open, this time for good, only to find Emma smirking back at her. "What did you say?"_

 _Emma licked her lips and repeated her statement once more. "Let's have a baby."_

 _Regina pushed herself into a sitting position rather abruptly, her heart beating in her ears. She brushed away the loose strands of hair that covered her eyes and let out an incredulous scoff. "Now?"_

 _Still laying on her side, Emma shrugged innocently, propped up by an elbow buried into her pillow. "Why not?"_

 _"What about Henry?"_

 _"He'd love to be a big brother," Emma piped._

 _"And work? Who would take the time off?"_

 _"I don't mind."_

 _Regina shook her head confusedly, her brow pinched as she wracked her brain around sudden Emma's proposal. "What about your parents? Or the house?"_

 _"What about my parents?" the blonde countered. "And we've got plenty of space here. Two extra rooms. Hell, we could even have two babies."_

 _Running a hand through her hair, Regina stared at Emma intently. "You're serious." It wasn't a question. Again, Emma simply nodded. And before she even knew what she was saying, Regina heard herself speak. "Ok."_

 _The corners of Emma's mouth speed from ear to ear as she sat on her knees. "Yeah?"_

 _Her entire body was buzzing, Regina had never felt this certain before in her life. Well, not counting the first time she met Henry and when she and Emma got together. A nervous laugh slipped through as Regina nodded. "Let's have a baby."_

* * *

Emma had been so lost in her own memories, simply calling her name wasn't enough to pull her back; it wasn't until she felt a hand squeeze her shoulder that the sheriff's realized she'd completely missed everything. A part of her briefly hoped that it was Regina who reached out to her. She did her best to hide her disappointment when she saw her father staring back at her with concern. Regina was at the other end of the table.

Sitting at the table of her parents' apartment, Emma cleared her throat and looked at everyone except for Regina. "Sorry, uh, where were we?"

Green eyes narrowed her direction and she felt a chill run down her spine. Even after all this time, Zelena had the ability to give Emma the goosebumps with a single look— much like Regina. "Mother Gothel is a sadistic bitch," Zelena stated flatly. "That's where we were."

"What we don't understand is _why_ ," David remarked. "What does she want with Cora? Why erase Regina's memories?" When Regina shot him a hard glare, David amended his statement. "I mean, why just the last five years?"

Snow shook her head, her arms folded over her chest. "What kind of person purposely wipes a pregnant woman's memories?"

Regina quirked a brow and let out a dark scoff. "You and I both know it could have been much worse. If she were to cast a curse while I was in labor, well, then that would be cause for concern." She felt Emma's eyes fall on her, summoned all of her strength to ignore it. She wasn't going to feel guilty about any of this. She had every right to be bitter, to lash out.

"Ok, so, what do we do now?" David asked, hoping to divert the focus just enough.

"Strengthening the protections around the border won't do anything, not if this Mother Gothel is already here— which, we know she is as she wouldn't be able to control Cora otherwise," said Zelena. "Unless…"

"Unless what?" Snow asked.

With a heavy sigh, Zelena said, "Unless she's in the Enchanted Forest. Or any other realm where there's magic."

"She's here," Emma said firmly. "She's gotta be. She knows way too much about us."

An uncomfortable silence washed over the group as they sat in their seats, waiting for a solution to magically appear. Emma rolled her eyes at the thought— relying on magic. What a joke. The very thing that got them in this mess in the first place.

"Emma—"

The Savior didn't let her mother get another word in before taking a breath and addressing the group, specifically, Regina. "Nothing changes," she began. "At least, nothing big. Regina will stay with Henry and me. We'll put up more protections around the house, keep her and the baby safe."

"Just what makes you believe you have any say over where I live? If I recall correctly, this all happened as a result of you trying to 'protect me?'" Regina muttered.

Hiding her clenched fists beneath the table, Emma simply held Regina's challenging gaze. "If you wanna go, fine. But even without the last five years, you know we're stronger together than we are apart."

Jumping before any fireballs could be slung, Zelena said, "Robyn and I will occupy one of your guest rooms. If either of you wish to survive living together in the state you're in, you'll both hold your tongues."

With a terse nod, Emma turned to her parents. "I want Cora on 24 hour watch, someone with her at all times. And I want to put together a team. Gothel is here. We just gotta find her. If people ask, tell them the truth. But try not to cause any extra panic. That's the last thing we need right now."

David pursed his lips together and nodded. "We can do that. This isn't the first war we've fought."

"It won't come to that," Snow added quickly. Looking between Emma and Regina, Snow said earnestly, "We'll figure this out. We always do." With that, the meeting adjourned just as quickly as it had convened.

When they returned home, the front door had barely closed before Regina spun around and bared her teeth at Emma. "How dare you speak for me! As if I'm not in the room, as if I can't look after myself!" Brushing past Regina, careful not to actually bump into her, Emma tried to keep calm. "You may have been able to that before, but I will not sit by while you make decisions for me! You have no right!"

Stopping dead in her tracks, Emma slowly turned to face Regina. Her chest tightened as she struggled to keep her breathing steady and she could feel her voice shake even before she opened her mouth to speak.

"I get that this is hard for you, I do," she began slowly. "I know it's only been two days. I know you're angry and you're hurting. But you know what, Regina?I am too." Taking a step closer, Emma bit down in en effort to maintain composure. "You didn't just lose fives years— you lost fives years of us together. You don't remember anything about us. Not our first date. Not our first kiss. The first time I told you that I love you. The time we went to New York for the weekend and took Henry to Coney Island. The night we decided to have a baby…" Emma had to look away. She didn't want to cry in front of Regina, didn't want Regina to see how close she was to falling apart. "I'm sorry this happened. I know you don't want to hear that, but it's true. If I could trade places with you, I would. But I can't.

"I'm not asking you to like me or to try and fake anything for me. All I want is to keep you safe— both of you. If, when we get rid of Gothel, you still don't remember, then we'll figure something out. But for now…" Emma sighed, her thoughts jumbled in her head, "for now, this is it."

Somewhat stunned at Emma's defeated tone at the end, Regina couldn't help but raise a curious brow. She was tempted to make a sarcastic remark, but just as she thought of the perfect insult, something stopped her. Perhaps it was the redness in Emma's cheeks or the tears glistening in her eyes, but Regina said nothing. She simply stood frozen in her spot.

It was then that the handle to the front door creaked. Emma quickly wiped away the tears that had tricked down her cheeks and plastered on a fake smile as Henry stumbled in.

Henry knew he'd walked in on something important. The very second he laid eyes on his moms, he knew. He also knew that, based on Emma's runny nose and Regina's clenched jaw, it was probably best to leave it.

"Go wash up for dinner," Emma said gently. "Don't forget, it's your pick for movie night." Henry nodded before jogging up the stairs, though not without looking back at his mothers on his way up. "Every Friday night," Emma explained. "We watch a movie together." _As a family_ , she thought.

"It's not Friday," Regina pointed out.

"Yeah, well, things change," Emma murmured before disappearing into the kitchen.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N -** I know I'm taking a lot of liberties with this story. Thanks for bearing with me!

* * *

Zelena and Giselle moved in the first thing next morning, and not a moment too soon, the redhead found. Even a witch as powerful as she couldn't break the tension in the Swan-Mills house. It hit her light a heatwave the moment she stepped foot through the door, a surge of magic like she'd never felt before, at least, not from Emma and Regina— magic created of conflict, of pain.

Although Regina did not remember Zelena, she found that she felt oddly comfortable around the woman. Aside from the accent and difference in hair color, they had quite a lot in common; reformed villains, casting curses upon towns in search of their happy ending, complicated relationships with Cora. From everything Regina had read about Zelena in the books, she'd expected that spending time with her would only result in yet another battle in the middle of town.

In all actuality, while Regina felt remarkably at ease with Zelena, she wondered if it wasn't just because spending time with Emma was the last thing she wanted to do. After the previous day, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to handle another speech; it was in moments like those that Regina was reminded just how much Emma was like her parents.

And so, during a day without the Savior, Regina fell into the role of caretaker; it was a nice change from being the one looked after. As Zelena carried the last few boxes of her and Giselle's belongings, Regina sat on the couch with her niece. Her own maternal instinct was one of the few constants that she seemed able to rely on.

"Just how long are you planning to stay?" Regina asked when Zelena brought in, what felt like, the 100th container.

"Minimum, a fortnight," Zelena replied matter-of-factly. "All depends on how long you and Emma can go without destroying each other." Regina rolled her eyes, but said nothing, quietly grateful that there would be a buffer other than Henry.

When Giselle pointed to Regina's stomach and squeaked, "Baby," Regina couldn't help but crack a small smile. Though it was impossible for her to forget her current… condition, Regina didn't particularly find joy in thinking about it. The child inside of her was hers, that much was indisputable. But it was also Emma's— another link between the Queen and the Savior.

After dropping off the last suitcase, Zelena sat in a chair across from Regina. "I believe that's the last of it," she exhaled. "Giselle and I have officially moved in." Patting her lap, Zelena scooped up Giselle and held her close. "Hello, darling. Are you excited to stay with your auntie Regina?" Giselle nodded excitedly. Checking her watch, Zelena pat her daughter on the back. "Why don't you go wake up Henry, hm? I'm sure he'd be delighted to see you," she said with a wicked grin.

As Giselle scurried up the stairs, quickly but carefully, Zelena took the empty space on the couch, right beside Regina.

"She looks like you," Regina murmured after a few moments.

Zelena's smile softened from scheming to pride. "Can't believe how fast she's growing."

Humming along in agreement, Regina sighed. "Tell me about it. Henry's so…" she trailed off, anger washing over her at the thought of losing memories of her son.

"Henry has grown into quite the young man, and he has you to thank for it," Zelena said. "He truly does have the Heart of the Truest Believer."

Regina pressed her lips in a firm line. "Well, I suppose someone should. Though I don't know how that helps anyone now."

Zelena examined her sister as she deliberated over her next words. "You came to see me the other day, before… well, before all of this."

"Did I now?" Regina asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Mhm," Zelena nodded. "You did me the courtesy of warning me about Cora. In fact, you thought I was another possible target."

"Well, you are her daughter."

Zelena offered a sad smile. "You said the same thing then."

"I see. And what was your response then?"

"That blood doesn't make a family," Zelena replied evenly.

They sat there together for a bit, the two women and Regina allowed the weight of Zelena's comments to settle. They listened to Giselle's giggles, to Henry's heavy footsteps as he carried her down the stairs on his back, out into the backyard.

"Is it true what Cora said?" Regina wondered aloud. "About the Underworld? About… moving on?" She wasn't sure how much had been Cora and how much had been Gothel. Though, she supposed, she could corroborate with the many books.

Zelena shifted in her seat slightly. "I suppose that depends on who you ask," she said. "She apologized to both of us. And we forgave her."

Tilting her head to the side, Regina remarked, "You don't sound very forgiving."

Zelena just shrugged. "I accepted what she did. But I don't think I'll ever truly be at peace with it."

"I don't understand. What's the difference?"

Sitting down beside Regina, Zelena sighed. "I suppose there isn't one," she realized. "I do believe she was genuine about one thing, though: she never wanted to hurt either of us."

As she attempted to find solace in Zelena's words, Regina couldn't help but be distracted by the layout of her home. The furniture was just as she remembered it. Though it was now arranged slightly differently, more open than before. It was as if it were all set up for group conversations, parties, family get-togethers.

The pictures she'd noticed on the walls weren't the only additions; there were frames on the mantle as well, more joyous occasions she felt no connection to. And then her eyes fell upon a photo she hadn't seen before, one of her and Emma together, without Henry. Emma stood behind her with her arms wrapped around Regina's waist, their home blurred in the background. Emma was smiling at Regina, looking at her as if she were the most beautiful person in the world. And Regina had her eyes closed with one hand cupping Emma's cheek. It was such a tender, intimate moment. Regina almost felt as if she were intruding on someone else's memory.

"Regina," Zelena began slowly, putting a hand over her sister's. "I understand that you don't know me. I can't imagine what you must be going through. I just… well, I hope that if you ever need anything, you know you can come to me. You can trust me."

With a grateful nod, Regina offered a quiet, "Thank you." She believed Zelena. Truly. It almost frightened her how easily she did so. Something inside of Regina knew that Zelena was on her side.

"Now," the redhead began in a chipper tone, "I don't suppose that son of yours would accept a bit of a bribe in exchange for carrying a few boxes upstairs, would he?"

"That depends," Regina said with a smirk, "would that bribe be food?"

Calling out to her daughter and nephew, Zelena waited patiently until Henry appeared with Giselle still on his back. After offering a generous amount of chocolate chip cookies, which Regina decided to allow, Henry and Giselle each grabbed an item and carried determinedly. Zelena watched on with a smile as her daughter carried her own small backpack and followed Henry dutifully.

Picking up the lightest box she could find, Zelena reprimanded Regina when she attempted to lift something, and ordered the brunette to lead the way. Regina grumbled something about using magic to finish it all, to which Zelena politely, "Even I've learned magic always has a price."

Other than the rom Emma was using, there were two other quarters; one next to Regina and Emma's room (now only Regina's). The other was next to Henry. Both doors were closed. And as far as Regina was concerned, both rooms were empty.

The last thing Regina had expected to find was a disassembled crib, paint swatches, a changing table. It made sense, of course. The room closest to hers would be the nursery. And Henry had mentioned something about Emma wanting to get started on it. A part of her had just assumed that meant they were starting from ground zero.

"Mom?" Henry called out tentatively. "That's, uh, for—"

"Right," Regina said quickly. "Of course. That means Zelena's room is—"

"Over here," the teenager gestured to the door behind him. Regina didn't waste a single second in closing the door to the nursery, an uneasy feeling creeping into her bones. "Are you OK?" She heard Henry asked gently.

Regina offered a stiff nod. "I'm fine. Come on, let's help Zelena unpack."

* * *

When Emma left the house that morning, the sun had just barely risen over the horizon. Shades of pink and orange blended in the sky to create.

Emma had left the house well before Zelena showed up. The sun had just barely risen when she got to the station, determined to find out anything and everything. After casting a silencing charm around the cell, however rational it may have been, Emma waited for David to arrived before enlisting the help of Belle, Mulan, and Red.

While Belle collected all of the books she could find on Mother Gothel, Emma sent Mulan and Red on a manhunt through Storybrooke. They started with the obvious places: the cottage beyond the woods, the house Emma stayed in when she was the Dark One, the cellar Zelena had kept Gold in all those years ago.

But, when those obvious places came up empty, they went a different route. Emma sent Mulan and Red through the underground channels, including the one beneath the mayor's mansion. She didn't care of Regina chewed her out for it; she'd deal with that if and when it happened. Meanwhile, Emma charged David with watching Cora while she paid a visit to a certain storeowner. Much to Emma's disappointment, Rapunzel wasn't in Storybrooke. The next best option was one she'd much prefer to avoid.

When she opened the door to the shop, Emma got the feeling that Gold had been waiting for her. Standing behind the counter, the man was tinkering with a small gadget, though she suspected he was just passing the time.

"What can I do for you, dearie?" Gold asked offhandedly, an impersonal greeting for someone he knew so personally.

Emma drew closer to the counter, one step at a time. "Mother Gothel. You knew each other. How?"

Setting town a small screwdriver, Gold pushed aside the magnifying glass he'd been using and looked up at Emma with a blank expression. "I'm afraid I don't know any more than you do, Ms. Swan," he replied in an even tone.

"Bullshit," Emma spat. "You know more than any of us do. You know why she's here— what she wants." She and Gold held each other's gaze for a moment, and much like the day before, they found themselves in a contest. Emma wasn't sure why Gold bothered at this point; they both knew she could kick his ass, Dark One and all. "We know she's Rapunzel's mom. But that's it. That's all we've got."

"I'm sorry," Gold said, shaking his head slightly. "I truly wish I could help you. Now, as you can see, I'm very busy here. If you don't mind." Turning back to the bizarre trinket before him, Gold squinted through the thick glass and poked at it with that tip of the screwdriver.

"Asshole," Emma muttered before spinning on her heels and slamming the door behind him.

Gold waited until he could no longer sense her magic before disappearing behind the curtain, into the back room. From the many items on the shelf of his personal collection, Gold plucked a book with a blue spine. It had accumulation considerably less dust than his other possessions, though that was because he'd used it most recently, just over four months before.

Flipping through the pages, Gold came to a halt on chapter three. He ran a finger across the lines, skimmed through the sections until he located exactly what he was looking for— something he'd wondered about, but had hoped wouldn't be true.

Closing the book, Rumplestiltskin reemerged from the back room, dug out his phone, and dialed the familiar number. The dial tone rang three times before someone answered.

"It's me," Gold greeted gruffly. "I found something."

* * *

Henry hadn't been to the castle in ages. Over the years, he'd had less and less time to visit, to be a kid. He hadn't exactly anticipated his grandfather asking to meet him at such a peculiar place, one that only Henry felt a connection to.

He'd told Zelena and Regina that he was going to Gold at his shop. If either of them suspected him of lying, they didn't show it. Promising to be back within the hour, Henry hastily sprinted out of the house and retraced the steps he'd taken so many times before as a child.

Gray clouds began to form as a storm started to brew. Henry ran as fast he could without arousing suspicion from other residents. He pushed through the sharp pain in his side and the heavy panting just long enough to make it to the castle. To no one's surprise, Gold was waiting for him when he arrived.

Bent over at the waist, his hands on his knees, Henry struggled to catch his breath. Gold waited patiently for his grandson to gather his composure. When Henry finally managed to stand up straight, Gold dug a hand into his coat pocket and held out the blue book.

"What's this?"

Gold opened to the chapter he'd bookmarked and pointed to the title. "This, my boy, is what Mother Gothel is after. The reason she's meddled in your mothers'… affairs."

With a sharp frown, Henry looked down at the heading and hungrily snatched the book from his grandfather. " _'True Love's Magic?'_ " Henry read aloud, unable to mask his own confusion.

But Gold simply nodded before flipping the pages. "More specifically, what it creates."

The moment Henry read the words, he his heart dropped to his stomach. A lump formed in the back of his throat as he understood just how much danger his family was in. Shaking his head in disbelief, Henry peered up at Gold with desperate eyes. "She wants the baby."

* * *

 **A/N -** What's that? Mother Gothel is after Emma and Regina's child? Why? And why did Gold come to Henry instead of an adult? Guess you'll have to stick around to find out...


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N -** A little bit of angst, a little bit of progress, a lot of questions, haha.

 **Ok, so, to be clear, the timeline in this follows canon up to the 3b finale. Everything after that still happened, but with the understanding that Regina and Emma broke Zelena's curse- which means, Frozen, Camelot & Dark Swan, the Black Fairy all happened with Emma and Regina as a couple. I know Emma and Henry are technically the only ones who can leave, but with so many curses after Zelena's, I've lost track of the line and its restrictions; so, needing a personal item still stands. Also, if you noticed, I changed the name of Zelena's daughter because I always thought that was always super creepy. **

* * *

After a few days, life in the Swan-Mills household began to settle. As much as it could with Regina's memory still gone and Mother Gothel's whereabouts still unknown. Henry hadn't told his mothers what Gold showed him, and every time he was about to, Emma and Regina appeared to be in another fight. It never seemed to be the right time, though Henry suspected such a thing didn't exist. How does one tell their parents that Mother Gothel wants their unborn child?

Zelena, for the most part, kept a close watch on the women. Only intervening when their magic collided and sent the lights flickering or the floors shaking; mindful of both Emma and Regina's wellbeing, especially her sister's. While she knew Emma would never put either Regina or the baby in danger, the eldest Mills played the role of protective sister dutifully.

By the end of the week, a routine of sorts had finally been established. Emma spent most of the days at the station or in the library, while Regina griped about not being able to go into the office. When both Emma and Zelena agreed that under the circumstances, she'd be safer at home, Regina reluctantly heeded their advice. Though she refused to play the role of housewife. No, while Emma was away, Regina did a bit of her own research. Having conjured her own books and scrolls, Regina filtered through her limited knowledge of Mother Gothel and how to defeat her.

After nine days— after she could no longer stand to witness Regina and Emma continue to fall apart— Zelena took it upon herself to help them. With Henry's assistance, the former Wicked Witch cleaned the house, set the table, and cooked dinner for the women. When Regina asked what she was up to, Zelena simply shrugged and said she wanted to make a family meal. But, when Emma returned from work, late as usual, Zelena cornered the two at the table.

"Henry and I shall be back in two hours," she announced, balancing Giselle on her hip.

Regina, unamused and unimpressed, narrowed her eyes at Zelena. "What happened to a family meal?"

"Oh, that," Zelena waved a hand, "I lied. You and Emma are going to enjoy a dinner together. Perhaps you'll even make it without the house falling apart."

Her jaw hanging open slightly, Emma blinked. "I'm… I don't know if that's such a good—"

"Hush," the redhead admonished. "You two have a lot to discuss. This is simply a chance to start."

With an apologetic glance at his mothers, Henry sighed. "I know this isn't how we usually solve things in this family— and I know it won't fix things. But you can't keep avoiding each other. It's… it's not healthy."

"And forcing us to spend time together is?" Regina countered.

She watched as Henry's shoulders fell, somewhat guilty for her clipped tone. But Henry didn't take his eyes off of his mother. "I don't know," he replied honestly. "But like Aunt Z said. You gotta start somewhere."

With that, Henry, Zelena, and Giselle disappeared from the dining room. Emma and Regina listened to their footsteps grow fainter as they reached the door, heard the lock clicking into place. When an engine growled, Emma knew they were really on their own.

"We should've never taught her how to drive," the blonde grumbled. She meant to say 'you,' but decided against the blame game.

Gazing out at the feast Zelena and Henry had prepared, Regina tried to act as if she weren't hungry. As if her stomach hadn't been growling for the last hour. As if she weren't ready to finish an entire lasagna on her own.

Reaching for the salad bowl, Regina said nothing as she served herself. Emma followed suit and cut into the pan-seared chicken, purposely leaving out the sun-dried tomatoes it was topped with. Regina took notice of Emma's aversion to vegetables and couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Here," she muttered. "At least have something green."

Regina passed the bowl to Emma, who exchanged it with the chicken. "And you should have some protein," she pointed out. When Regina scoffed, Emma added, "Don't think I haven't noticed you sneaking extra bacon. Come on. It's good for you. Both of you."

With an aggravated sigh, Regina placed a few slices of chicken on her plate, as well as the sun-dried tomatoes. The scent of garlic hit her nose, and though she braced herself for a wave of nausea, she was pleasantly surprised when it never came.

They ate in silence for a bit. A few minutes silverware scratching together and lettuce crunching beneath their forks. Emma started with the chicken, while Regina began with her salad. A basket of rolls sat untouched, as did a small bowl of coleslaw. Zelena's menu was rather unconventional, that much was certain.

"So…" Emma exhaled. "How are you feeling?"

"I haven't remembered anything, if that's what you're asking," Regina said curtly.

Looking up at Regina steadily, Emma said, "I wasn't."

Regina was taken aback by the sincerity in Emma's eyes, though she knew she shouldn't have been. She saw the same thing every other time their gazes met. She'd just been doing her damnedest to ignored it. "In that case, I'm feeling fine."

"No morning sickness? Or cramps? Trouble sleeping?" Emma rattled off.

Regina shook her head slightly. "No," she said. "Nothing."

Nodding to herself, as if she were reassured, Emma replied, "Good. That's good." They turned back to their meals awkwardly, unsure of what to say next. "We might have found something on Mother Gothel," she posed suddenly. Regina's head snapped up expectantly. "We know why she was so hellbent on keeping Rapunzel locked away," Emma explained. "Rapunzel's hair had some kind of magic that kept Gothel young."

Regina waited for more. "That's it?" She said haughtily when Emma merely reached for her drink. "I knew _that_ ," Regina scoffed. "Everyone knows that."

Somewhat embarrassed, Emma looked down at her plate, like a child being scolded for not studying for a test. "Oh."

"You mean to tell me that's all you've come up with? In five days, that's all you've got?" Tossing her hands into the air, Regina grumbled, "How the hell did I end up with someone so incompetent, she can't even—"

"Regina!" Emma exclaimed, dropping her fork and knife into the table. "Can we please go one night without ripping each other's throats out? Just… one night?" Fury cascaded through Regina's veins as she wrestled with her temper, her snarl softening somewhat as she turned back to her plate. When she felt that tone had been successfully tamed, Emma cleared her throat and shifted in her chair, unable to stop her knee from bouncing up and down. "There's- there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about. Something I think we should figure out together."

"Alright. I'm listening."

Playing with the napkin in her lap, let the words she'd recited all day play back in her mind. "So, I've been thinking about the baby," Emma said. "I know this whole thing is really messed up—"

Regina scoffed. "How eloquent." Emma shot a look at Regina, one that could be read as apologetic or tired. "I'm sorry," Regina said honestly. "Go on."

"Henry told me he's been filling you in on stuff, going over all the big things that have happened to us. I don't know how much he's told you about the baby, but… but I want you to know how much we both wanted this," Emma said. "And even though things are… the way they were, I still want this. And I was thinking that, even if you don't have your memories, we should—"

"I'm going to stop you right there, Emma," Regina interjected. "If you think for one second that you can keep me away from this child, I swear to Hades you will—"

"Whoa, whoa, Regina, wait!" Emma shook her head. "I'd never do that to you." Regina's hand had flown over her bulge protectively, and Emma saw it. She swallowed hard before being able to continue, reminded herself for the hundredth time not to take it personally. "I love you," Emma blurted out. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean— I don't want to— look," she sighed. "I'm not expecting you to suddenly like me or… or love me. "

"Then what _are_ you saying?" Regina asked, accusation still laced in her words.

"I know you love that baby just as much as I do," Emma tried to assauge. "Whatever else happens, I'm still in this. I just… I wanted you to know that I'm here. As a friend. If you want."

Every time Emma spoke, Regina grew increasingly agitated. Not because she didn't believe the Savior, but because of the passion that so clearly radiated in her bones. Regina had been trying to understand, reading and rereading the books, but nothing really helped. How was it that she and Emma ended up together? How had Emma been able to forgive her? How could she speak to Regina with such kindness and understanding?

When she found her voice again, Regina merely tilted her chin in gratitude. "Thank you. I suppose, then, in light of our… situation, we should set up some ground rules." For some odd reason, the words felt a bit raw on Regina's tongue, as if they didn't want to come out. As if she could sense that even suggesting such a thing was a betrayal of sorts.

"Ground rules?" Emma echoed. "Ok… yeah. Sure."

The air shifted slightly and Regina fell into a rather authoritative position across from Emma. Folding her hands over the table top, she crossed one leg over the other and addressed Emma as if she were addressing a lawyer— rather distant and uncertain. "You should know that, I've taken consideration of your concerns… and perhaps you were right, perhaps your feelings were overlooked. Though, I hardly believe it's my fault, as _I_ was the one who lost my memory." Realizing that this would only lead to losing Emma's focus, Regina self-corrected and held Emma's gaze in silent commitment. "Until my memories return," _if my memories return,_ Regina thought, "I think it would be best for us to continue sleeping in separate rooms."

Emma nodded slowly. "Yeah, totally. I get that."

"Good," said Regina. "And I'd appreciate it if physical contact remained at a minimum, unless, say, I'm falling down a cliff and you happen to be the one to catch me." She caught Emma smirking slightly, and as hard as she tried to ignore it, she couldn't help but feel somewhat proud of being the one to make Emma smile— even if it was rather morbid.

Emma shrugged half-heartedly and said, "We're not a couple. I mean are, or were… but to you, we're just barely friends. I'd never do anything to violate your comfort or your consent." Emma had fallen so madly in love with Regina over the years, the very notion of not being together absolutely crushed her. And yet, that's exactly where they were right now. She knew, though, that if there was any chance of them making it through this, she would have to start thinking of Regina less of her partner and more as Henry's other mother. "I, uh, I also wanted to apologize about last week," Emma murmured. Regina, completely intrigued by the blonde's admission, found herself leaning forward just a bit. "I shouldn't have spoken for you. You may not remember our life together, but you're still you. You've never needed my help— not really. I just… I got used to being the one to be that for you."

"What would that be, exactly?" Regina questioned.

Emma looked away and blinked slowly, "It doesn't matter." Shaking her head, as if to rid herself of the pain of longing, she turned back to Regina and gestured towards her stomach. "What matters now is that you two are safe. And even if you don't need me, I like to think I'm still needed."

Regina felt Emma wilt slowly, felt her slip away from their conversation and fall back into the memories of a life Regina couldn't relate to. A strange urge hit Regina, a desire to reach out and hold Emma's hand. It was a familiar sensation and yet still so foreign, she was just getting ready to ask Emma to talk to her when she felt a sharp jab in her side. Regina let out a startled hiss, her hand resting atop her stomach. This wasn't like before— it was far stronger than a simple nudge.

"What is it?" Emma asked, rushing to kneel at Regina's side.

A blank look flashed across the brunette's face as she shook her head in a dazed fashion. "I- I don't know."

Emma reached out tentatively and hovered over Regina's torso, aware that this was still not her Regina. "May I?" When Regina nodded numbly, she hadn't been anticipated a rush of warmth as Emma's hand brushed against hers. Something inside of her recognized Emma's touch, wanted to melt into it, knew that there was a safety to it. And when the corner of Emma's mouth perked up, Regina felt her heart flutter momentarily. "The baby's kicking," Emma said.

"Oh," Regina exhaled, as if the idea had never even occurred to her. "Does it… do that often?"

"This is the first time." A sadness flickered across Emma's face as she dropped her hand away from Regina, who suddenly felt as if something were missing.

Emma stood up to return to her seat, and Regina was suddenly overcome with the urge to call out to the woman, to beg her to stay next to her, to feel their skin brushing against each other once more. It was a craving Regina had never experienced before— or at least, not for a long time. But just as Emma fell back into her chair, Regina rid herself of such thoughts and retreated once more.

Dabbing her lips with her napkin, Regina rose to her feet slowly. "Right, well, I think I'm just going to lay down for a bit."

"Ok," Emma said. "I'll clean up here," she offered as she started stacking plates.

"Leave it," Regina waved a hand. "Zelena set it up. She can take it down. I think she owes us a little bit more."

* * *

When Henry could no longer keep it a secret, he told the one person he thought would understand the most. Well, given the situation.

"Aunt Z," Henry began cautiously, peering over at Zelena in the driver's seat. "Do you know anything about Mother Gothel?"

Shaking her head, both hands firmly on the wheel, the redhead replied, "Not much. Keeping track of everyone else in other realms wasn't exactly my priority."

Henry nodded as if he understood, when really, he was just trying to convince himself to come clean. "I think I know what she wants," he blurted out suddenly. He barely had enough time to grip the door handle before Zelena slammed on the breaks. In the backseat, Giselle giggled at the bumpy ride, thinking it was part of the fun.

Shrinking under his aunt's inquisitive glare, yet another similarity between Zelena and Regina, Henry let it all out. He told her about Gold calling him, about the book and the chapter on true love and magical babies. Guilt seeped through his pores as he relayed the little information he'd been holding onto so tightly, a secret he knew he shouldn't have been keeping.

"Your mothers don't know," Zelena said, already certain of the answer. Of course they didn't know; they'd have been running out like chickens with their heads cut off if they'd known. Henry shook his head and looked away. "We have to tell them. They need to be prepared."

"I know," the teenager agreed.

"They need to be warned. We have to protect that child," Zelena continued.

"I know," Henry echoed.

Shifting into drive, Zelena turned the car around, aimed for the manor. She was just about to punch the gas when a thought occurred to her. "Why did you come to _me_ with this? Why not the Charmings? Or even your parents?"

Henry shrugged, fidgeting with his hands in his lap. "I dunno. I guess I thought… you know, the whole thing with you and grandma…"

It wasn't long before Zelena caught on. "You mean, when I tried to steal your uncle?" There was no malice or anger in her voice, but rather, resignation. Perhaps even a little remorse. "I see. Well, I did go to rather far lengths then. If Mother Gothel is after that baby— and if she's powerful enough to bring Cora back— then… then she'll be even more powerful." Glancing back at her own daughter, Zelena put a hand on Henry's shoulder. "Come on," she offered a consoling pat. "You need to talk to your mothers."


	11. Chapter 11

"Over my dead body!" The words exploded from Emma as she spat them out with such ferocity, even Regina flinched. Her eyes wild with rage, the Savior chest rose and fell with every staggered breath that she took. "There's no way in hell she's getting anywhere near Regina or our child!" Emma shouted to no one in particular and everyone at the same time.

When Henry and Zelena came home and told the women there was something they should know, Regina had a sinking feeling it wasn't good news. She could see it in Henry's green eyes, the way his shoulders rolled forward just as they always did when he was troubled with the weight of a secret. And now, here she sat, still as a statue on the sofa; her hands folded in her lap, her lips pressed together in a firm line. The whole ordeal felt oddly familiar, Emma's panic and Regina's measured composure. In a sick way, it felt almost routine, as if she wouldn't expect it any other way.

And, yet, as calm as Regina was, there was something in her rigidity that spoke volumes. At least, to those who knew her best— all of whom were in the same room as her.

"Nothing is going to happen to that baby," Zelena promised the group, mostly Regina, almost as though she'd been reading her mind. "Gothel may be strong, but there's more magic between the four of us than she has alone."

Her brow pinching slightly, Regina shook her head in confusion. "Four?"

Zelena nodded. "That lizard is going to help us. I'll make sure of it."

"Gold?" Regina said doubtfully. "If he didn't tell us about all of this himself, what makes you think he'll want to help us now?"

"He won't have a choice," Emma growled, her hands turning into tight fists; her anger so unbearable, she'd conjured a mighty blaze of fire that sent heavy smoke up the chimney.

Her arms hugging her stomach in a protective manner, Regina looked down and frowned. She'd only just gotten used to the idea of having another child, and now, her child was in danger— the very child she'd felt kick less than an hour ago. It wasn't fair. If she'd done as much good as Henry claimed she had, where was her happy ending? Why did it seem that she was still paying for her crimes?

With a clench of her jaw, Regina looked up at Emma, locking eyes with the woman for the first time since Henry broke the news. "We need a plan," Regina said.

Emma gave a jerky nod and folded her arms over her chest, as if that would comfort her somehow. "We have to tell my parents. They can help."

Regina scoffed. "Yes, because True Love always fixes everything."

"Not always," the blonde muttered. "If Gothel wants our kid, she's gonna have to go through me to get to her. And she'll have to go through my parents to get to me."

Regina tried to pretend that Emma hadn't just referred to the baby as "she" and merely turned to Zelena. "I've a few of Cora's old books. I assume the rest are in the mausoleum?"

Emma waved her hand towards the sofa table and waited for the white smoke to disappear. "Not anymore," Zelena commented with a wry smirk.

"And the text Gold gave you?" Regina asked Henry. There was no spite in her voice, none of the disappointment he'd been so afraid of, but he still shrank under the inquiry.

"In my room," the teenager mumbled.

Regina nodded slowly. She took a moment for herself, closed her eyes, and allowed herself take a deep breath in; she allowed herself to sit with it all. Everything. The last week. Emma. Henry. Their child. This new threat.

Before she could control it, Regina felt a tear fall down her cheek as she opened her eyes and looked at her family.

 _Her_ family.

The word came to her so easily, frighteningly so.

"Regina," Emma called out softly, carefully. She took a tentative step forward, and another one, and another one until she was kneeling in front of Regina. "Can you two give us a second?" Henry and Zelena nodded wordlessly before leaving the two together.

With a slight shake of her head, Regina's lips parted slowly. "None of this makes any sense," she murmured. "None of it. Gothel. Cora. My memories being erased— years of a life I can't understand." She noted the way Emma's expression faltered and before she knew it, she was apologizing. "I'm sorry," Regina said. "I didn't mean…"

"It's OK," Emma dismissed, every ounce of energy going towards maintaining an even tone. "It's a lot to handle. I just hate that I couldn't—" she cut herself off and looked away, breaking eye contract with Regina. With a deep breath, Emma turned back and held Regina's gaze as she spoke. "I meant what I said earlier: I'm in this. I swear on my life, no one is going to touch this kid. Not while I'm still alive.

* * *

That night, Regina sat awake in her bed, propped up by three pillows. The light on her nightstand illuminated the dark room. For the first time since she'd come home, Regina felt as if something were missing; there was an emptiness to the room she hadn't noticed before.

Minutes passed. Perhaps even an hour. A blue glow filled her room as moonlight slipped through her curtains. Still unable to curb her thoughts, Regina threw the blanket over her legs and planted her feet firmly on the floor. One step after the other, she shuffled towards her door and opened it just a crack, pausing briefly as she took in the silence. The rest of the house was still asleep.

Her palm pressed against the wall, Regina crept along the corridor and reached for the handle to the room next to hers. A part of her wondered if she should wait, if she should turn back and return to her room. But she was already turning the knob and before she knew it, she was standing in the doorway.

Even with the lights off, Regina could see the scattered items clearly. Their locations still fresh in her memory from the day Zelena had moved in. The crib in bits and pieces in the corner, waiting to be put together. A stack of paint samples she and Emma had collected over the course of a few weeks. The wooden changing table she thought she recognized, and now knew to be the same one from Henry's infancy.

Regina thought about the time before Henry came into her life, the days of preparation, the excitement of the unknown. She wondered what she felt before the accident— how excited she'd been for this baby, if she'd been as ecstatic as she was with Henry. She wanted to feel good about this new child, to celebrate something she'd never thought she'd have again. But she couldn't. All she felt was terror. Sadness.

It felt like a cruel tease, this baby. As she scanned the nursery, a part of her wanted to blast the items to another realm, to get rid of them before they became nothing but a bitter memory of what could have been. The happiness she should be feeling was overshadowed by a sense of dread.

"Regina?"

Pulled out from her despair, the mayor jumped in her spot at the soft voice. Quickly, she wiped away the tears that had fallen and cleared her throat. When she turned around and found the Savior standing across from her, she couldn't help let out a small scoff.

Dressed in a tank top and sweats, her hair falling over her shoulders, she leaned against the doorframe and nodded to the shadow in the corner. "I was scared to pick one out so soon," Emma revealed quietly. "I didn't want to jinx anything, you know?" A dark laugh escaped her lips as she shook her head. "We were out shopping for Henry— he keeps growing out his clothes— and we saw that one. We weren't even looking for baby stuff, but that one… it looked good. So… we went for it."

Regina inhaled slowly, unsure what to do with this new information. Every time someone brought up a memory, she felt as though they were speaking about someone else— someone she knew they wanted her to be, but someone she couldn't imagine being. Finally, she let out a sigh and said, "Maybe you were right in wanting to wait."


	12. Chapter 12

The mornings proved to be more difficult for Regina than anything else. When she'd wake she'd feel herself reaching out to the empty space beside her, every morning. Faint traces of Emma's shampoo still clung to her pillow and Regina, god help her, liked it. It was odd, really. They hadn't even been on a date— that she could remember— and Regina found herself wanting Emma, needing her presence. And yet, she couldn't stand the sight of the Savior. Emma was a walking reminder of the things she didn't know, a relationship, a life.

Every day, Regina found herself learning something new about the person she'd become. Henry would show her pictures of their family over the years, read her stories from his book— moments he relayed with the same passion she'd always seen in him.

The morning after her encounter with Emma in the nursery, Regina left the manor while the others slept. She threw on whatever fit best, wrapped her black coat around her for security, and walked to the station. She hadn't spoken to Cora in several days, not since seeing her for the first time (again). She still had so many questions, so many years she wanted answers for.

When she walked through the doors, Regina tread carefully as she approached the cell. Cora sat on the bench, her back against the wall, her eyes closed. Regina didn't know if it was Cora she'd speak with or Gothel. But she was willing to take that chance.

"Mother?"

Cora's eyes fluttered open and she turned slowly to look at her daughter. A sad smile spread across her lips as she rose to her feet, drifting over towards the edge of her cell. A lump caught in her throat as she stared at Regina, her eyes falling towards her midsection. "You shouldn't be here," Cora murmured. "It isn't safe."

A dark laugh escaped Regina. "I'm not sure anywhere is right now." Regina watched as Cora's fingers curled around the steel bars. "You don't have your heart," she mused. "When you died— in my arms— you had your heart."

"I know," Cora sighed.

"Nothing's changed, then. Not really."

Cora shook her head slowly, guilt flashing in her eyes. "I never wanted to hurt you," she offered. "I thought… I thought we'd moved on, moved forward."

"How are you even here?" Regina wanted to know, grazing over Cora's words. "If you'd gone into the light or whatever it was, how did Gothel bring you back? What did she promise you?"

"Nothing," Cora answered honestly. "I have no idea what she did. The only time I've felt magic as powerful as hers was with Rumplestiltskin." She waited quietly for Regina to say something. "Regina," she started. "Whatever Gothel wants, she won't stop until she gets it. She wanted your memories gone for a reason. You need to take your family and get somewhere safe, let Emma—" Something flashed in Regina's eyes, a combination of fury and hurt. Cora had seen that look in Regina's eyes before, had ignored it, had used it to push her daughter to be the stronger. But she knew now how wrong that was, how it only hurt Regina more. "Has anyone told you why you went the Underworld?"

Regina shook her head. "I assume to it was to save one of the idiots?"

Cora chuckled, but it was an empty laugh. "In a manner of speaking. It was for Emma. You didn't say it, but I knew you'd only do something so foolish for someone you loved." Slowly, Cora reached through the bars and held her hand out. A moment of uncertainty passed before Regina allowed her mother to cup her cheek. "That love doesn't make you weak, Regina. It makes you strong, stronger than I could ever be. Use that strength. Protect your family."

* * *

When Regina came home, Emma, Zelena, and Henry were pacing in the living room, still in their pajamas.

"Mom!" Henry exclaimed, running up to hug her. "You're ok!" Holding her son tightly, she frowned as she combed through his hair. "We didn't know where you were," he explained when he pulled away. "We thought…"

Realization washed over the former queen and her features softened. "I'm sorry," she said. "I should've left a note."

"Where the bloody hell have you been?" Zelena shot.

Averting Emma's gaze, Regina said, "To the station." She spoke matter-of-factly, calmly. "I went to see Mother."

Emma stood with her cellphone in one hand and the landline in the other, her hair pulled into a clumsy ponytail. Her cheeks were pink and jaw clenched as she waited for the adrenaline to dissipate. "You could've gotten hurt," she grunted. "What if Gothel—"

"I'm fine," Regina said. "Nothing happened. And, contrary to what you may believe, I'm still perfectly capable of defending myself." As if to prove her point, Regina conjured a fireball, only for Henry and Emma to flinch. "What?" she semi-growled.

Henry turned to Emma, as if waiting for her to be the one to break the news. "It's just," Emma sighed, "we've been trying to cut down on the magic lately."

"I seem to recall both of you," Regina gestured to Zelena and Emma, "using it to your advantage recently." As if sharing a guilty secret, the other two women shared a look. "I see," Regina said finally. "By 'we,' you meant, only myself. And why, may I ask, am I the only one refraining from magic use?"

"We just didn't know how it would affect the baby," Emma explained. "We didn't wanna jinx anything."

Regina rolled her eyes. "The crib, now this. Well, I'm sorry to break it you, Emma, but I'm not sure cowering from superstition has done us much good so far. Now, if you'll all excuse me." And without another word, Regina walked past the trio, straight down the hall to her office, and closed the door behind her.

Emma let out a loud sigh and forced a smile to Henry and Zelena. "That went well."

* * *

Time moved so fast, and yet so slowly. Seconds felt like minutes, and minutes felt like hours. Emma felt as though she'd been pushed into a pit of quick sand, sinking faster and faster with every second that passed. But the only person who could pull her out refused to look her in the eye.

Few things kept her grounded these days. Emma had learned a long time ago that anger was a good motivator. She often channeled her fury into action, thinking only after she dove in head-first. She didn't have that luxury now— the anger, sure, but taking action? Going after a lead on her own? Every time she considered confronting Cora, baiting Gothel into the woods, all she could think of was Henry and Regina. Their child. Her parents. Anger, she'd come to understand, wasn't the only thing that motivated her. Love did too.

Emma thought of it later that afternoon, a few hours after Regina stormed away to her office. She was at the station with David and Belle, scouring through texts and scrolls Belle snagged from Gold's personal library. None of them could read elfish and Belle could only translate half the book from the ogres. In the end, their answer was simple. And it had been staring them in the face the whole time. At least, in Emma's mind.

She left David and Belle to watch Cora, told them to call her if anything changed. She practically kicked down the door to Gold's shop and strode up to the wizard behind the counter.

"I've already told Zelena, this is not my fight," Gold said evenly, his focus on a disassembled telescope. "And believe me, she was rather persistent."

"Yeah, well, you're in luck. That's not why I'm here for. Even though you're an ass for that," Emma said. Planting her palms flat against the glass, she stared at Gold until he put down his toy and made eye contact. "What Gothel wants, True Love's magic, does it have to be a child?"

Pressing his lips together, Gold considered Emma's question. He was an astute man, had been around long enough to know when someone's intentions didn't match their inquiry. "A child would be ideal, a baby not yet swayed by darkness or light. But, in certain circumstances, magic is magic."

"So, hypothetically, if I— say— stripped away my magic, could I give it to Gothel? Would it be enough for her to get her fix and leave us alone?"

Gold surveyed Emma's features, noted the way her brow pinched together, the determination in her green eyes. "Hypothetically speaking, it is a possibility, yes."

Emma didn't smile. "That's all I needed to know." She turned to leave, made it halfway across the store, before pausing. "You know," she said over her shoulder, "You never said how you knew Gothel."

Already picking up the telescope once more, Gold said, "You never asked."

Emma took that as a sign not to push her luck and left, the chimes echoing through the empty shop as she vanished.


	13. Chapter 13

"No," Snow said sharply, shaking her head, arms folded over her chest. Knuckles blanched from clenched fists. "Absolutely not."

"Have you gone mad?" Zelena asked at the same time.

Emma knew not to expect a celebration or party in her favor, but this wasn't exactly on the list of possible reactions either. Getting chastised like a child, like anyone else had anything better to suggest.

Standing next to his wife, David had his hands on his hips, his lips pressed in a worried line. "Emma, I know you want to protect them, but that's just too dangerous."

"It makes sense though!" The blonde tried. "This gives us a second option— no one else has to get hurt."

"No, just you," Snow quipped. Turning to Regina, hoping that if there was any compassion left, she would intervene, she begged, "Regina, please. Tell her she can't do this."

Regina waited for a moment, a brief hesitation. She opened her mouth to speak, but no one would ever hear what she had to say. "I'm not asking your permission," Emma ground out. She locked eyes with her lover, fierce and steadfast in a silent standoff. She dared her parents to continue, to try and stop her. She knew that they knew she'd already made up her mind. Still, Emma turned to Zelena with a menacing glare, fully prepared to fight.

"Mom," Henry finally offered from the couch, his hands folded in his lap. With a measured sigh, he stood up and met both of his mothers' gaze, nearly taller than the both of them. "I think you should do it." Regina's surprise was evident as she furrowed her brow, taken aback by his boldness. His words heavy with conviction, she almost didn't recognize him, the young man he'd so quickly become. "I think— if it'll keep Mom and the baby safe, then you have to."

Emma's features softened as she nodded to him, offering him her hand. "Alright," she prompted. "That's two votes in my favor." Emma peered at Regina, tried to remember that this version was indifferent to her decisions. It didn't matter that Regina had almost shared her own stance— she figured she'd just tell Emma to do whatever she wanted. "Regina," she started, "What about you? What do you say?"

* * *

Dinner that night was strained, to say the least. Emma and Regina hardly exchanged any words with one another. Henry didn't have it in him to play mediator. Not anymore. He was tired. His shoulders rolled forward, his head held low. He sat as though he were carrying the weight of the entire realm on his back. He didn't even finish his supper. Halfway through, he asked to be excused, to return to his room. Regina reluctantly granted his request, if only because she could see how defeat he was; she listened to his heels drag across the floor as he made his way to the stairs.

When they were finished, Emma cleared the table. She piled all the dishes on top of one another before carrying them to the sink. She nearly made it before bumping into the counter and dropping all of the plates. One by one, they crashed to the floor and shattered to hundreds of tiny pieces, scattering across the finished wood. The clash echoed throughout the room and Emma's nostrils flared as she took a steadying breath.

"Dammit!" Emma hissed as she knelt down and began picking up shards of glass. Regina started to stand up, but Emma shot out a hand. "Don't move! You could get hurt."

With an annoyed scoff, Regina ignored the woman and walked to the cupboard. A broom and dustpan in hand, she started to help clear the mess. "This is what you get for trying to balance it all alone like a fool."

Grinding her teeth together, Emma stayed crouched below as she replied, "Whatever."

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

Emitting a low growl, Emma rose to her feet and glowered at Regina. "I said, whatever."

"How mature," Regina remarked dryly. "Tell me, Emma, do you encourage Henry to make the same careless decisions? Or do you just do it to show off?" Emma's hands turned to fists at her sides as she tried to brush off Regina's snarky comments. She'd forgotten all about the jagged fragments until she felt a warmth spread through her fingers. Regina's scowl softened at the same moment that Emma looked down at her hand. "Gods, Emma, come here." She set the broom aside and beckoned Emma towards the sink.

"You don't have to do this. It's fine," Emma grumbled when Regina turned the water on.

"Clearly," Regina remarked with a not-so-subtle roll of her eyes.

Emma watched as Regina gingerly reached for her wrist and guided it beneath the gentle stream. She'd missed Regina's touch more than anything, had been wondering, waiting to feel it again. This was it. Finally. Except, it wasn't. It didn't feel the same. Not like she remembered.

When the blood had washed away and Regina placed a towel over the wound, Emma held her hand close to her chest. "Thanks," she muttered, somewhat grudgingly.

Leaning against the counter, several feet across from Emma, Regina folded her arms over her stomach. She eyed the blonde intently, tapping into her minimal but meaningful knowledge of Swan behavior. "You're upset with me," she said. It wasn't a question.

Emma's jaw clenched as she peered down at her shoes. Ratty old Converse. Regina had been pestering her to buy a new pair. _"If not for yourself, then for us,"_ Regina had said one morning as they were dressing for the day. _"Those things don't exactly fit our family's… image."_ Emma had laughed it off then. She didn't think their family had an "image." The Savior and the Queen. Their image was whatever they wanted it to be.

As she stared at her sneakers now, Emma couldn't help but offer a sad smile. What she wouldn't give to have her partner nagging her again, instead of constantly looking at her with disappointment. "That's the frustrating part," she finally replied. "I'm not upset with you. I could never be upset with you."

Regina let out a dark laugh. "Well, you could've fooled me— pouting ever since your parents left."

Emma just shook her head. "You know, if the situation were reversed… I would've said the same thing."

"You would've called me an idiot?" Regina wonders, somewhat amused.

"Ok, maybe not," Emma chuckled. "But I _would_ tried to stop you. I wouldn't let you do something so dangerous. Not when… not when there's so much to lose."

Playing along, Regina tilted her head and said, "I see. And, if the situation were reversed, would I— I mean, would the woman you fell in love with… would she 'let you' stop her?"

Emma slowly turned to look at Regina. It never got easier. Seeing the face of the woman she'd give her life for— being met with a strangled familiarity, a sadness she hadn't seen for years. "No," she sighed. "She wouldn't."

* * *

Emma laid in bed that night with her hands folded beneath her head. Staring blankly a the ceiling, lost in crickets chirping and barren branches creaking outside of her window. She could hear the faint sounds of Henry snoring in the next room and a half-hearted smile spread across her lips. He still didn't believe her when she teased him about the house shaking at night.

Turning onto her side, facing the doorway, Emma tried to remember what it felt like to sleep in _their_ bed. To feel close to Regina, her warmth beside her, her head on her chest. To feel safe again, to be home rather than simply in their house. She tried to understand, tried to piece it all together. How had everything gone to shit so fast?

As she pulled the blankets over her shoulders, she tried to comfort herself with the memory of their first night together. That's how she'd gotten herself to sleep lately, clinging to the moments that she knew would never truly be gone.

—

 _"Emma, listen. We're both… overwhelmed. I don't think this means what we think it means. I think… I think we just need to take some time and consider this from all angles."_

 _Regina spoke from her front step, her hands clasped together in front of her. A shiver ran down her spine when Emma licked her lips in contemplation. They'd spent the better part of the evening visiting residents, testing the limits of the broken curse. Memories had been restored, but even more questions arose. In the moments of stillness they had together, just the two of them, a swell of hope began to grow in Regina's chest._

 _Emma was listening to Regina's words, truly, she was. And she had every intention of respecting her wishes. Even if her legs were shaky. Her fingers tingly. Her heart beating erratically._

 _"Ok," Emma breathed. "You're right. We should think this over. Just, one thing, though?"_

 _Straightening as if she were trying to maintain her mayoral facade, Regina nodded. "Alright?"_

 _"Can I kiss you?"_

 _Regina nearly toppled backward at the request. No, not the request. But the tenderness it was spoken with. She could feel Emma's breath on her, the way the butterflies in her stomach fluttered as their hands grazed ever so slightly._

 _"Why?" She couldn't help but ask._

 _Emma frowned as she realized Regina truly didn't know. "Because I love you. I've loved you since … god I can't even remember. No, wait. It was that day in the mines. As terrifying as it was, that's when I knew. I've loved you since then, and I will several days from now. It doesn't matter how much time we take. I'll love you until… well, until forever."_

 _It was a ridiculous little speech. That's what Regina was telling herself. It was naive and born of an unfiltered hope— the very one that had been growing stronger all evening._

 _Her lips parted somewhat, Regina closed her mouth and stuck her chin out. She took a step forward, lowering herself until she was eye-level with Emma. "Yes," she finally said. "You may kiss me."_

 _Flushed cheeks and sparkly-eyed, Emma waited. Kept Regina in suspense. Smiled as Regina stood still, eyes closed._

 _Slowly, Emma leaned forward, her own eyes closed now. Her lips caressed Regina's, and at first, it was soft. But then, it was like waves crashing against the shore. Arms wrapped around each other, pulling each other closer, hearts pounding together in time._

 _They stumbled into Regina's dark house, the lights all off. Up the stairs and into Regina's room, they never broke apart, not even as they fell onto the perfectly made bed._

 _Emma fell asleep with Regina in her arms that night. And for the first time since she'd come to Storybrooke, she slept without a single nightmare._

* * *

Regina awoke the next morning to Henry frantically knocking on her door. Eyes still half closed, she reached for her alarm clock. It was barely 6:30. When Henry called her name, she threw the covers off and leapt out of bed. She opened the door to Henry's wide-eyes staring back at her.

"Mom's gone."


End file.
